80 lines
3.5 KiB
Markdown
80 lines
3.5 KiB
Markdown
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---
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tags:
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- Algorithms_Data_Structures
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---
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*A stack visualised vertically*
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*A stack visualised horizontally*
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## A stack is a linear data structure that observes LIFO
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Think of a stack like a pile of books: the last book that you add is the nearest to the top and therefore the first one that you can remove.
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If you want to get a book that is not at the top, you have to first remove the books that are above it to get to it.
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This type of data structure is linear and only allows sequential, not random, access. It is an example of 'last one in first one out'.
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## We can build a stack from an array
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A stack is an example of a data structure that can be built by adapting an array. If you think about it, all that is needed is an array to store the data, an `array push` method to add elements to the 'end' or the 'bottom' of the stack and an `array pop` method to remove the element at the top.
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## Demonstration
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Below we create a stack constructor, using a class. An object created from this template will have the following properties and methods:
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* `items[]` → an array to store the data
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* `push()` → a method to add an element to the end of the stack
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* `pop()` → a method to remove an element from the front
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In addition we have the following helpers, which allow us to check the status of the stack and retrieve information about it:
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* `isEmpty()` → check if the stack is populated or not
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* `clear()` → empty the stack of its content (therefore making `isEmpty()` return `true`)
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* `size` → a property corresponding to the stack's length
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````js
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class Stack {
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items = [] // the array that will store the elements that comprise the stack
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push = (element) => this.items.push(element) // add an element to the end of the stack
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pop = () => this.items.pop() // remove and return the last element from the stack
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// We can add some useful helper methods, that return info about the state of the stack:
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isEmpty = () => (this.items.length === 0) // return true if the stack is empty
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clear = () => this.items.length = 0 // empty the stack
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size = () => this.items.length // count elements in stack
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}
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````
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## Run through
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````js
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let stack = new Stack();
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test.push(1); // Add some elements to the stack
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test.push(2);
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test.push(3);
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// Stack now looks like:
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console.log(stack.items); // [1, 2, 3]
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// Let's try removing the last element
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stack.pop(); // 3 -> this was the last element we added, so it's the first one that comes out
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// Now the stack looks like this:
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// [1,2]
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// Let's add a new element
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test.push(true)
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// Now the stack looks like:
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// [1,2, true]
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````
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## Practical applications
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* Any application that wants to got 'back in time' must utilise a stack. For example, the 'undo' function in most software is a function of a stack. The most recent action is at the top, and under that is the second most recent and so on all the way back to the first action.
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* Recursive functions: a function that calls itself repeatedly until a boundary condition is met is using a stack structure. As you drill down through the function calls you start from the most recent down to the last.
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* Balancing parentheses. Say you want to check if the following string is balanced `[()]` . Every time you find an opening parentheses. You push that to the front of a stack. You then compare the closing parentheses with the order of the stack. The same could be done when seeking to find palindromes. This sort of thing could be a code challenge so build an example.
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