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Merge Sort and Linked Lists

Mar 15, 2014 at 4:02pm
yoked88 (140)
I am getting an error trying to convert from nodeType<Type> to nodeType<Type>* in my recursiveSort function and I do not know why this is happening. Can anyone help?

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#ifndef H_linkedListIterator
#define H_linkedListIterator
#include <iostream>

template <class Type>
struct nodeType
{
	Type info;
	nodeType<Type> *link;
};

template <class Type>
class linkedListIterator
{
public:
	linkedListIterator();
	linkedListIterator(nodeType<Type>*);
	Type operator*();
	linkedListIterator<Type> operator++();
	bool operator==(const linkedListIterator<Type>&) const;
	bool operator!=(const linkedListIterator<Type>&) const;
private:
	nodeType<Type> *current;
};

template <class Type>
linkedListIterator<Type>::linkedListIterator()
{
	current = NULL;
}

template <class Type>
linkedListIterator<Type>::linkedListIterator(nodeType<Type> *ptr)
{
	current = ptr;
}

template <class Type>
Type linkedListIterator<Type>::operator *()
{
	return current->info;
}

template <class Type>
linkedListIterator<Type> linkedListIterator<Type>::operator ++()
{
	current = current->link;
	return *this;
}

template <class Type>
bool linkedListIterator<Type>::operator ==(const linkedListIterator<Type>& other) const
{
	return (current == other.current);
}

template <class Type>
bool linkedListIterator<Type>::operator !=(const linkedListIterator<Type>& other) const
{
	return (current != other.current);
}

#endif 


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#ifndef H_linkedListType
#define H_linkedListType
#include "linkedListIterator.h"
#include <iostream>
#include <cassert>

using namespace std;

template <class Type>
class linkedListType
{
public:
	const linkedListType<Type>& operator=(const linkedListType<Type>&); //
	void initializeList(); //
	bool isEmptyList() const; //
	void print() const; //
	int length() const; //
	void destroyList(); //
	Type front() const; //
	Type back() const; //
	virtual bool search(const Type&) const = 0;
	virtual void insertFirst(const Type&) = 0;
	virtual void insertLast(const Type&) = 0;
	virtual void deleteNode(const Type&) = 0;
	linkedListIterator<Type> begin(); //
	linkedListIterator<Type> end(); //
	linkedListType(); //
	linkedListType(const linkedListType<Type>&); //
	~linkedListType(); //
protected:
	int count;
	nodeType<Type> *first;
	nodeType<Type> *last;
private:
	void copyList(const linkedListType<Type>&); //
};

template <class Type>
bool linkedListType<Type>::isEmptyList() const
{
	return (first == NULL);
}

template <class Type>
linkedListType<Type>::linkedListType()
{
	first = NULL;
	last = NULL;
	count = 0;
}

template <class Type>
void linkedListType<Type>::destroyList()
{
	nodeType<Type> *temp;
	while(first != NULL)
	{
		temp = first;
		first = first->link;
		delete temp;
	}
	last = NULL;
	count = 0;
}

template <class Type>
void linkedListType<Type>::initializeList()
{
	destroyList();
}

template <class Type>
void linkedListType<Type>::print() const
{
	nodeType<Type> *current;
	current = first;
	while(current != NULL)
	{
		cout << current->info << " ";
		current = current->link;
	}
}

template <class Type>
int linkedListType<Type>::length() const
{
	return count;
}

template <class Type>
Type linkedListType<Type>::front() const
{
	assert(first != NULL);
    return first->info;
}

template <class Type>
Type linkedListType<Type>::back() const
{
	assert(last != NULL);
	return last->info;
}

template <class Type>
linkedListIterator<Type> linkedListType<Type>::begin()
{
	linkedListIterator<Type> temp(first);
	return temp;
}

template <class Type>
linkedListIterator<Type> linkedListType<Type>::end()
{
	linkedListIterator<Type> temp(NULL);
	return temp;
}

template <class Type>
void linkedListType<Type>::copyList(const linkedListType<Type>& other)
{
	nodeType<Type> *newNode, *current;
	if(first != NULL)
		destroyList();
	if(other.first == NULL)
	{
		first = NULL;
		last = NULL;
		count = 0;
	}
	else
	{
		current = other.first;
		count = other.count;
		first = new nodeType<Type>;
		first->info = current->info;
		first->link = NULL;
		last = first;
		current = current->link;
		while(current != NULL)
		{
			newNode = new nodeType<Type>;
			newNode->info = current->info;
			newNode->link = NULL;
			last->link = newNode;
			last = newNode;
			current = current->link;
		}
	}
}

template <class Type>
linkedListType<Type>::~linkedListType()
{
	destroyList();
}

template <class Type>
linkedListType<Type>::linkedListType(const linkedListType<Type>& other)
{
	first = NULL;
	copyList(other);
}

template <class Type>
const linkedListType<Type>& linkedListType<Type>::operator =(const linkedListType<Type>& other)
{
	if(this != &other)
	{
		copyList(other);
	}
	return *this;
}

#endif
Last edited on Mar 16, 2014 at 5:22pm
Mar 15, 2014 at 4:03pm
yoked88 (140)
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#ifndef H_unorderedLinkedList
#define H_unorderedLinkedList
#include "linkedListType.h"

using namespace std;

template <class Type>
class unorderedLinkedList: public linkedListType<Type>
{
public:
	bool search(const Type&) const;
	void insertFirst(const Type&);
	void insertLast(const Type&);
	void deleteNode(const Type&);
	void divideList(nodeType<Type>*,nodeType<Type>*&);
	nodeType<Type> mergeList(nodeType<Type>*,nodeType<Type>*);
	void recursiveSort(nodeType<Type>*&);
	void mergeSort();
};

template <class Type>
bool unorderedLinkedList<Type>::search(const Type& searchItem) const
{
	nodeType<Type> *current;
	bool found = false;
	current = first;
	while(current != NULL && !found)
		if(current->info == searchItem)
			found = true;
		else
			current = current->link;
	return found;
}

template <class Type>
void unorderedLinkedList<Type>::insertFirst(const Type& item)
{
	nodeType<Type> *newNode;
	newNode = new nodeType<Type>;
	newNode->info = item;
	newNode->link = first;
	first = newNode;
	count++;
	if(last == NULL)
		last = newNode;
}

template <class Type>
void unorderedLinkedList<Type>::insertLast(const Type& item)
{
	nodeType<Type> *newNode;
	newNode = new nodeType<Type>;
	newNode->info = item;
	newNode->link = NULL;
	if(first == NULL)
	{
		first = newNode;
		last = newNode;
		count++;
	}
	else
	{
		last->link = newNode;
		last = newNode;
		count++;
	}
}

template <class Type>
void unorderedLinkedList<Type>::deleteNode(const Type& item)
{
	nodeType<Type> *current, *trailCurrent;
	bool found;
	if(first == NULL)
		cout << "The list is empty." << endl;
	else
	{
		if(first->info == item)
		{
			current = first;
			first = first->link;
			count--;
			if(first == NULL)
				last = NULL;
			delete current;
		}
		else
		{
			found = false;
			trailCurrent = first;
			current = first->link;
			while(current != NULL && !found)
			{
				if(current->info != item)
				{
					trailCurrent = current;
					current = current->link;
				}
				else
					found = true;
			}
			if(found)
			{
				trailCurrent->link = current->link;
				count--;
				if(last == current)
					last = trailCurrent;
				delete current;
			}
			else
				cout << "Item not found in list." << endl;
		}
	}
}

template <class Type>
void unorderedLinkedList<Type>::divideList(nodeType<Type> * first1, nodeType<Type>* &first2)
{
	nodeType<Type> *middle, *current;
	if(first1 == NULL) //list is empty
		first2 = NULL;
	else if(first1->link == NULL)  //list only has one node
		first2 = NULL;
	else
	{
		middle = first1;
		current = first1->link;
		if(current != NULL) //list has more than two nodes
			current = current->link;
		while(current != NULL)
		{
			middle = middle->link;
			current = current->link;
			if(current != NULL)
				current = current->link;
		}
		first2 = middle->link; //points to first node of second sublist
		middle->link = NULL; //link of last node of first sublist set to null
	}
}

template <class Type>
nodeType<Type> unorderedLinkedList<Type>::mergeList(nodeType<Type>* first1, nodeType<Type>* first2)
{
	nodeType<Type> *lastSmall, *newHead;
	if(first1 == NULL)
		return first2;
	else if(first2 == NULL)
		return first1;
	else
	{
		if(first1->info < first2->info)
		{
			newHead = first1;
			first1 = first1->link;
			lastSmall = newHead;
		}
		else
		{
			newHead = first2;
			first2 = first2->link;
			lastSmall = newHead;
		}
		while(first1 != NULL && first2 != NULL)
		{
			if(first1->info < first2->info)
			{
				lastSmall->link = first1;
				lastSmall = lastSmall->link;
				first1 = first1->link;
			}
			else
			{
				lastSmall->link = first2;
				lastSmall = lastSmall->link;
				first2 = first2->link;
			}
		}
		if(first1 == NULL) //first sublist if processed first
			lastSmall->link = first2;
		else  //second sublist is processed first
			lastSmall->link = first1;
		return newHead;
	}
}

template <class Type>
void unorderedLinkedList<Type>::recursiveSort(nodeType<Type>* &head)
{
	nodeType<Type> *otherHead;
	if(head != NULL)
		if(head->link != NULL)
		{
			divideList(head,otherHead);
			recursiveSort(head);
			recursiveSort(otherHead);
			head = mergeList(head,otherHead);
		}
}

template <class Type>
void unorderedLinkedList<Type>::mergeSort()
{
	recursiveSort(first);
	if(first == NULL)
		last = NULL;
	else
	{
		last = first;
		while(last->link != NULL)
			last = last->link;
	}
}

#endif 


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#include <iostream>
#include "unorderedLinkedList.h"

using namespace std;

int main()
{
	unorderedLinkedList<int> list1;
	list1.insertLast(65);
	list1.insertLast(18);
	list1.insertLast(85);
	list1.insertLast(95);
	list1.insertLast(25);
	list1.insertLast(20);
	list1.insertLast(45);
	list1.insertLast(75);
	list1.insertLast(30);
	cout << "list1 = ";
	list1.print();
	cout << endl;
	list1.mergeSort();
	cout << "list1 = ";
	list1.print();
	cout << endl;
	system("PAUSE");
	return 0;
}
Edit & run on cpp.sh
Mar 16, 2014 at 5:22pm
yoked88 (140)
Would anyone mind compiling my code and letting me know what is happening? Any help is appreciated and thank you in advance.
Mar 16, 2014 at 5:51pm
long double main (999)
You have
nodeType<Type> mergeList(nodeType<Type>*,nodeType<Type>*);

but in your recursiveSort function, you do
head = mergeList(head,otherHead);

So you try to assign a value of type nodeType<Type> to head, which is a nodeType<Type>* variable.
Mar 18, 2014 at 10:03pm
yoked88 (140)
I'm still a bit confused because I pass head as a pointer and reference parameter, so shouldn't it be okay? For instance when I call didiveList, both parameters are pointers and it accepts head as a pointer actual parameter.

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template <class Type>
void unorderedLinkedList<Type>::recursiveSort(nodeType<Type>* &head)
{
	nodeType<Type> *otherHead;
	if(head != NULL)
		if(head->link != NULL)
		{
			divideList(head,otherHead);
			recursiveSort(head);
			recursiveSort(otherHead);
			head = mergeList(head,otherHead);
		}
}


It also lets me call recursiveSort function with head as a pointer variable, so I'm not really sure what is causing this error.


 error C2440: '=' : cannot convert from 'nodeType<Type>' to 'nodeType<Type> *'
Mar 21, 2014 at 12:13am
yoked88 (140)
Can anyone help me fix this?
Mar 21, 2014 at 1:46am
Smac89 (1727)
As @ long double main pointed out, your mergeList function needs to return a pointer and that is exactly what the error message is referring to.

Also remember to pass your pointers by ref if you wish to modify the underlying list
Mar 22, 2014 at 6:26am
yoked88 (140)
This was one of those errors that made me feel stupid. I had a meeting at work this morning and while waiting for it to begin, I started looking over my code and had a major epiphany and realized that I didn't have the return type of my mergeList function as a pointer. Problem solved! Thanks to all who replied.
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