The heterogeneous linked list contains different data types, so it is not possible to use ordinary pointers for this. For this purpose, you have to use a generic pointer type like void pointer because the void pointer is capable of storing a pointer to any type.
In a heterogeneous linked list, where each node can store data of different types, you typically need to use a pointer of type void * (void pointer) to achieve this.
Here’s why:
- Flexibility:
void *is a generic pointer type that can point to data of any type without requiring explicit casting. This allows you to store data of different types in the same linked list. - Dynamic Typing: C language doesn’t support dynamic typing natively like some other languages such as Python. Using
void *allows you to achieve a form of dynamic typing by enabling the storage of various data types in the linked list. - Compatibility: Since
void *can be implicitly converted to any other pointer type, it provides compatibility with different data types, making it suitable for a heterogeneous linked list implementation.
Here’s a simple example of how you might define a node in a heterogeneous linked list:
struct Node {
void *data;
struct Node *next;
};
In this implementation, void *data can hold a pointer to any type of data, allowing the linked list to store heterogeneous data. However, you’ll need to be cautious when accessing or manipulating the data stored in such nodes, as you’ll need to cast it back to the appropriate type before using it.