content/snippets/js/s/data-structures-linked-list.md
---
title: JavaScript Data Structures - Linked List
shortTitle: Linked List
type: story
language: javascript
tags: [class]
cover: purple-flower-macro-3
excerpt: A linked list is a linear data structure where each element points to the next.
listed: true
dateModified: 2021-08-08
---
## Definition
A linked list is a linear data structure that represents a collection of elements, where each element points to the next one. The first element in the linked list is the head and the last element is the tail.
![JavaScript Linked List visualization](./illustrations/ds-linked-list.svg)
Each element of a linked list data structure must have the following properties:
- `value`: The value of the element
- `next`: A pointer to the next element in the linked list (`null` if there is none)
The main properties of a linked list data structure are:
- `size`: The number of elements in the linked list
- `head`: The first element in the linked list
- `tail`: The last element in the linked list
The main operations of a linked list data structure are:
- `insertAt`: Inserts an element at the specific index
- `removeAt`: Removes the element at the specific index
- `getAt`: Retrieves the element at the specific index
- `clear`: Empties the linked list
- `reverse`: Reverses the order of elements in the linked list
## Implementation
```js
class LinkedList {
constructor() {
this.nodes = [];
}
get size() {
return this.nodes.length;
}
get head() {
return this.size ? this.nodes[0] : null;
}
get tail() {
return this.size ? this.nodes[this.size - 1] : null;
}
insertAt(index, value) {
const previousNode = this.nodes[index - 1] || null;
const nextNode = this.nodes[index] || null;
const node = { value, next: nextNode };
if (previousNode) previousNode.next = node;
this.nodes.splice(index, 0, node);
}
insertFirst(value) {
this.insertAt(0, value);
}
insertLast(value) {
this.insertAt(this.size, value);
}
getAt(index) {
return this.nodes[index];
}
removeAt(index) {
const previousNode = this.nodes[index - 1];
const nextNode = this.nodes[index + 1] || null;
if (previousNode) previousNode.next = nextNode;
return this.nodes.splice(index, 1);
}
clear() {
this.nodes = [];
}
reverse() {
this.nodes = this.nodes.reduce(
(acc, { value }) => [{ value, next: acc[0] || null }, ...acc],
[]
);
}
*[Symbol.iterator]() {
yield* this.nodes;
}
}
```
- Create a `class` with a `constructor` that initializes an empty array, `nodes`, for each instance.
- Define a `size` getter, that returns that uses `Array.prototype.length` to return the number of elements in the `nodes` array.
- Define a `head` getter, that returns the first element of the `nodes` array or `null` if empty.
- Define a `tail` getter, that returns the last element of the `nodes` array or `null` if empty.
- Define an `insertAt()` method, which uses `Array.prototype.splice()` to add a new object in the `nodes` array, updating the `next` key of the previous element.
- Define two convenience methods, `insertFirst()` and `insertLast()` that use the `insertAt()` method to insert a new element at the start or end of the `nodes` array respectively.
- Define a `getAt()` method, which retrieves the element in the given `index`.
- Define a `removeAt()` method, which uses `Array.prototype.splice()` to remove an object in the `nodes` array, updating the `next` key of the previous element.
- Define a `clear()` method, which empties the `nodes` array.
- Define a `reverse()` method, which uses `Array.prototype.reduce()` and the spread operator (`...`) to reverse the order of the `nodes` array, updating the `next` key of each element appropriately.
- Define a generator method for `Symbol.iterator`, which delegates to the `nodes` array's iterator using the `yield*` syntax.
```js
const list = new LinkedList();
list.insertFirst(1);
list.insertFirst(2);
list.insertFirst(3);
list.insertLast(4);
list.insertAt(3, 5);
list.size; // 5
list.head.value; // 3
list.head.next.value; // 2
list.tail.value; // 4
[...list.map(e => e.value)]; // [3, 2, 1, 5, 4]
list.removeAt(1); // 2
list.getAt(1).value; // 1
list.head.next.value; // 1
[...list.map(e => e.value)]; // [3, 1, 5, 4]
list.reverse();
[...list.map(e => e.value)]; // [4, 5, 1, 3]
list.clear();
list.size; // 0
```