Generic DS Library in C

Overview

This project implements a custom generic library in C for common data structures such as Singly Linked List, Doubly Linked List, Stack, and Queue. In C++, you can easily use STL and in Java, you have the collection classes, but in C, there is no built-in generic feature to handle different data types. This project aims to fill that gap by providing generic data structures in C that can store any kind of data type using pointers (void *).

Why This Library?

While C++ and Java offer built-in collection classes for managing and sorting data, C does not have such capabilities. This project offers a way to implement data structures that can store any data type, including custom types, similar to how it is done in higher-level languages. This library helps build a deeper understanding of how data structures work and how you can manage data using custom implementations.

Features

• Singly Linked List (SLL)
• Doubly Linked List (DLL)
• Stack
• Queue
• Generic data handling using void * pointers
• Type casting for data retrieval

Functions

Each data structure (Singly Linked List, Doubly Linked List, Stack, Queue) includes functions for basic operations like:

• Create: Initialize a new data structure.
• Insert: Add elements to the data structure.
• Delete: Remove elements from the data structure.
• Traverse: Iterate over the data structure and retrieve elements.
• Destroy: Free the allocated memory.

Setup and Installation

Prerequisites

• GCC compiler or any C compiler that supports the -I and -L flags for header and library paths.

Building the Library

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone <repository_url>
   cd Generic-DS-library
   

2. Compile the source files: For each data structure (Doubly Linked List, Singly Linked List, Stack, Queue), you will need to compile the .c files into object files (.o) and then link them together into a static library (.a).

   Example for building the combined library:

   gcc -c src/doubly/tm_doubly.c -I include/doubly -o src/doubly/tm_doubly.o
   gcc -c src/queue/tm_queue.c -I include/queue -o src/queue/tm_queue.o
   gcc -c src/singly/tm_singly.c -I include/singly -o src/singly/tm_singly.o
   gcc -c src/stack/tm_stack.c -I include/stack -o src/stack/tm_stack.o
   
   ar rcs lib/libtm_c_ds_combined.a src/doubly/tm_doubly.o src/queue/tm_queue.o src/singly/tm_singly.o src/stack/tm_stack.o

Using the Library

Once the library is built, you can link it with your own C files by using the -I flag for the header files, the -L flag for the library directory, and the -l flag for specifying the library name.

Example:

gcc eg1.c -I include/ -L lib/ -ltm_c_ds_combined -o eg1.exe