Introduction to Programming in Python: An Interdisciplinary Approach

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 ...