C Primer Plus®, Third Edition

The Linked List Versus the Array

Many programming problems, such as creating a list or a queue, can be handled with a linked list—by which we mean a linked sequence of dynamically allocated structures—or with an array. Each form has its strengths and weaknesses, so the choice of which to use depends on the particular requirements of a problem. Table 17.1 summarizes the qualities of linked lists and arrays.

Table 17.1. Comparing arrays to linked lists.

Data Form	Pros	Cons
Array	Directly supported by C time Provides random access	Size determined at compile time
		Inserting and deleting elements is time-consuming
Linked List	Size determined during runtime	No random access
	Inserting and deleting elements is quick	User must provide programming support

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