queued

Queued: An Essential Data Structure

Queued data structure is among the most fundamental data structures used in programming. It refers to an ordered collection of elements in which all operations occur at one end of the structure. In other words, it operates in a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) manner, where the first element added will be the first to be removed. Queued data structure plays a critical role in various areas of computer science such as operating systems, networking, and databases. This article will delve deeper into what queued data structure is, how it works, and its applications.

How Queued Data Structure Works

In a queued data structure, each element is stored in a container referred to as a node. Nodes contain two fields: a data field to store elements and a next field to store the reference to the next element in the queue. Nodes are connected using pointers, which facilitate the traversal of the nodes in the queue.

The two primary operations in a queued data structure are enqueue and dequeue. Enqueue is the operation that adds an element to the end of the queue. On the other hand, dequeue removes the first element that was added to the queue. These operations are performed at opposite ends of the queue to ensure that the FIFO rule is followed. Besides, other common operations in a queued data structure include peek, which returns the first element in the queue without removing it; clear, which empties the queue; and isEmpty, which checks if the queue has any elements.

Applications of Queued Data Structure

The queued data structure is used in various applications, some of which are discussed below:

Operating Systems

Queued data structure is an essential component in computer operating systems. The processes that run on a computer are queued in a first-come, first-serve manner. The operating system assigns CPU time to each process in the queue to ensure that each process runs in an orderly manner. The queued data structure provides a means of scheduling tasks in the operating system.

Networking

Queued data structure is used in network routers to handle packet traffic. The packets arriving at a router are queued using a first-in, first-out (FIFO) method. Data packets are transmitted from the router in the same order they arrived. The queued data structure provides buffer storage that stores and organizes incoming packets as they wait to be processed.

Databases

In a database management system, a queued data structure is used to manage incoming queries. Each query sent to a database is queued using a FIFO method to ensure that the first query sent is the first to be processed. The queued data structure provides a means of organizing the queries as they wait for processing.

Conclusion

Queued data structure has many essential uses in the field of computer science. It provides an efficient way of organizing and managing data, processes, and tasks. Properly understanding queued data structure can help programmers develop better and more efficient software applications. Moreover, it can lead to a better understanding of how computer systems work in general.