Q&A
Q. When should I call the _Node
constructor?
A. Just as with any other class, you should call the _Node
constructor when you want to create a new _Node
object (a new node in the linked list). You should not use it to create a new reference to an existing _Node
object. For example, the code
oldfirst = _Node(item, next)oldfirst = first
creates a new _Node
object, then immediately loses track of the only reference to it. This code does not result in an error, but it is a bit untidy to create orphans for no reason.
Q. Why not define Node
as a stand-alone class in a separate file named node.py
?
A. By defining _Node
in the same file as linkedstack.py
or linkedqueue.py
and giving it a name that begins with an underscore, we encourage clients of ...
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