When deciding between singly linked lists and doubly linked lists, there are a few important things to think about:
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Memory Usage:
- Singly linked lists use less memory because each piece (we call them nodes) only has one pointer to the next node.
- Doubly linked lists use more memory because each node has two pointers: one for the next node and one for the previous one.
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Traversal Direction:
- If you want to move through the list forwards and backwards, doubly linked lists are better.
- Singly linked lists only let you go in one direction.
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Insertion and Deletion:
- Adding or removing items is usually faster in doubly linked lists. You can easily move in both directions to find the right spot.
- In singly linked lists, you might have to keep track of the last node to delete or insert, which can take longer.
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Use Case:
- Think about what you need for your project. If you’re just making a stack or queue, singly linked lists might be enough.
- But, if your project needs complex navigation, doubly linked lists could work better.