I've been working through a tutorial:
http://www.ibiblio.org/obp/thinkCSpy/index.htm.
Lately, I have been learning about abstract data types
(linked lists, stacks, queues, trees, etc.). While I
do enjoy the challenge of creating these objects, I am
not sure what they are used for.
Queues and linked lists are also used extensively inside operating systems. Process lists are a large collections of queues organized in multiple queues implemented as linked lists and stored in one array. File systems store files by accessing data blocks through linked "blocks" (not quite the same as your linked node structure) and access to the disks and the network are through queues. Trees are used less often, but still very useful. The directory structure (folders and files) on your disk are trees, the program to search your email may use a tree. Stacks are often used for network protocols and program execution (every time you call a function, you are pushing something onto a stack).
How about real life uses for these structures. Queues are one of the most natural structures from social life brought into computer science. Insects, banks, highways, birds, even the lunch line in grade school used queues. Stacks are the next, with stacks of books, papers, etc. Trees are used for people's genealogies. And you might used a linked list in a treasure hunt or for footnotes and bibliographies. Even post-it notes are a form of mental linked list.
I hope this helps your understanding.
-Arcege
--
There's so many different worlds,
So many different suns.
And we have just one world,
But we live in different ones.
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