fifo in c

FIFO in C

FIFO (First-In-First-Out) is a data structure that follows the principle of "first come, first served." In C, a FIFO can be implemented using an array or a linked list. Here's an explanation of each step involved in implementing a FIFO in C:

  1. Define the FIFO structure: Start by defining a structure that represents the FIFO. The structure should contain an array or a linked list to store the elements, as well as other variables to keep track of the front and rear of the FIFO.

  2. Initialize the FIFO: Before using the FIFO, initialize it by setting the front and rear variables to appropriate initial values. For an array-based implementation, set both front and rear to -1. For a linked list implementation, set both front and rear to NULL.

  3. Enqueue (Insert) an element: To insert an element into the FIFO, increment the rear variable (or move the rear pointer in a linked list implementation) and store the new element at that position. If the FIFO is full, handle the overflow condition appropriately.

  4. Dequeue (Remove) an element: To remove an element from the FIFO, increment the front variable (or move the front pointer in a linked list implementation) and return the element at that position. If the FIFO is empty, handle the underflow condition appropriately.

  5. Check if the FIFO is empty: To check if the FIFO is empty, compare the front and rear variables (or check if the front pointer is NULL in a linked list implementation). If they are equal, the FIFO is empty.

  6. Check if the FIFO is full: To check if the FIFO is full, compare the rear variable with the maximum size of the FIFO (or check if the rear pointer is NULL in a linked list implementation). If they are equal, the FIFO is full.

  7. Access the front element: To access the front element of the FIFO without removing it, simply return the element at the front position (or return the value pointed to by the front pointer in a linked list implementation).

  8. Clear the FIFO: To clear the FIFO and reset it to its initial state, set both the front and rear variables to their initial values (or set both the front and rear pointers to NULL in a linked list implementation).

Remember to handle any necessary error conditions, such as overflow or underflow, when implementing a FIFO in C.

[1]