What are the differences between queues and stacks?

What are the differences between queues and stacks?

Queues and stacks are both data structures, but they operate differently. A stack follows the Last In First Out (LIFO) principle, meaning the last element added is the first one to be removed. In contrast, a queue follows the First In First Out (FIFO) principle, where the first element added is the first one to be removed.

Can you give me examples of where I might use each?

Sure! Stacks are often used in scenarios like undo mechanisms in text editors or function call management in programming. Queues are commonly used in scenarios like print job management or handling requests in web servers.

What are the main operations for each data structure?

For stacks, the main operations are push (to add an element) and pop (to remove the top element). For queues, the main operations are enqueue (to add an element to the back) and dequeue (to remove an element from the front).

Are there any real-world analogies for these structures?

Yes! A stack can be compared to a stack of plates where you can only take the top plate off. A queue is like a line at a ticket counter where the first person in line is the first to be served.