In this course, we will explore the fundamental concepts of abstract data types (ADTs) and data structures. Then, we'll discuss specific ADTs and common implementations. We'll first learn some basic terminology and then learn about array-based implementations, as well as a new approach using a data structure called the linked chain. We will put all that into practice through some demo projects, including a link-based queue and a stack that uses a linked list.
Intended Audience
- Beginner coders, new to C++
- Developers looking to upskill by adding C++ to their CV
- College students and anyone studying C++
Prerequisites
To get the most out of this course, you should have a basic understanding of the fundamentals of C++.
In this section, we explored the fundamentals of creating our own custom data structures based on ADTs, which are abstract specifications for data types, hence the name Abstract Data Types. These ADTs tell us what a data type (in our case, data structure) is supposed to do but do not specify how to do it. That's where the data structure implementations come in. We explored a basic variety of fundamental data structures that pretty much every computer scientist or software engineer should know. Specifically, the List, the Stack, and the Queue, with alternate implementations using array-based and linked chain-based approaches. We rounded out the section with some great projects: a Linked Queue, and a Stack that uses a LinkedList instead of a raw array or linked chain built from scratch. This has been a fantastic section and I hope you enjoyed it. I look forward to our future adventures together and providing more material to help you achieve your goals. I'll see you soon.
John has a Ph.D. in Computer Science and is a professional software engineer and consultant, as well as a computer science university professor and department chair.