Difference Between Array and Linked List

Introduction

The fundamental distinction between Array and Linked List is that Array allocates memory at compile time, when the array is declared, but Linked List allocates memory during runtime, when the linked list is expanded.

A data structure that includes a collection of items of the same data type is known as an array. An array has already been established. To put it another way, it has a set length. A Linked List, on the other hand, is a linear data structure that treats each entry as an independent entity. It has a variable duration. As a result, it may be increased or decreased during runtime.

What exactly is an array?

A fixed-size data structure is called an array. It has the ability to store items of the same kind. It is not feasible to save each element as a distinct variable when there are several items of the same type. This problem can be solved using an array. All of the components are stored as a single element. Double salary [10]; for example, defines a salary array that may hold 10 double values. The size of this array is ten. As a result, the programmer may only put ten entries in this array.

The array's first entry has an index of 0. The index of the final member in an array of ten items is 9. The array's items are all in the same memory address. The first element is represented by the lowest address, while the final element is represented by the highest address. Furthermore, operations such as inserting, deleting, and modifying items, as well as traversing and combining arrays, are available.

What Does a Linked List Mean?

A Linked List is a linear data structure that includes a succession of nodes. Each node has its own data as well as another node's address. It may hold just the next node's address or both the next and previous node's addresses. The parts are joined together to create a chain-like structure. A Linked List's key benefit is that it is dynamic. Unlike an array, there is no need to allocate all needed memory at the start. Instead, a linked list enables you to allocate memory as needed.

A Linked List, on the other hand, uses more memory since it stores the addresses of other nodes. It is not feasible to access an element randomly in a linked list. To access a certain element, the programmer needs travel through each node in order. Furthermore, travelling backwards via a linked list is complicated.

Comparison Table Between Array and Linked list

Conclusion

Both Array and Linked List aid in the linear storage of data. The fundamental distinction between Array and Linked List is that Array allocates memory at compile time, when the array is declared, but Linked List allocates memory during runtime, when the linked list is expanded.