JavaScript Data Structures: Stack: Push / Add a new node

Intro

Last time, we learned what a Stack is and set it up.

Today, we learn how to push / add a new node on top of the Stack.

---

Starter Code

We start with the code from the last part.

class Node {
  constructor(value) {
    this.value = value;
    this.next = null;
  }
}

class Stack {
  constructor() {
    this.length = 0;
    this.last = null;
  }
}

---

Thoughts

First, we should think about the constraints and possibilities:

If the Stack is empty:

• create a new node
• set the new node as the last node
• increase the stack's length by 1
• return the new node

All remaining cases:

• create a new node
• set the current last node as the new node's next node
• set the new node as the new last node
• increase the stack's length by 1
• return the new node

---

Example

// current stack:
A <== B (last)

// desired stack:
A <== B        <== C (last)

Steps:

// current stack:
A <== B (last)

// set the current last node as the new node's next node
A <== B (last) <== C

// set the new node as the new last node
A <== B        <== C (last)

// desired stack:
A <== B        <== C (last)

=> stack after last step equals the desired stack

---

Implementation

class Node {
  constructor(value) {
    this.value = value;
    this.next = null;
  }
}

class Stack {
  constructor() {
    this.length = 0;
    this.last = null;
  }

  push(value) {
    // create a new node
    const newNode = new Node(value);

    if (!this.length) {
      // stack is empty, therefore set the new node as the last node
      this.last = newNode;
    } else {
      // set the current last node as the new node's next node
      newNode.next = this.last;
      // set the new node as the new last node
      this.last = newNode;
    }

    // increase the stack's length by 1
    this.length += 1;
    // return the new node
    return newNode;
  }
}

---

Result

Let's have a look how to use the push method and its results.

const newStack = new Stack();

// should be empty
console.log(newStack);
// Stack { length: 0, last: null }

// one new node
console.log(newStack.push("A"));
// Node { value: 'A', next: null }

// should have one node
console.log(newStack);
// Stack { length: 1, last: Node { value: 'A', next: null } }

// one new node
console.log(newStack.push("B"));
// Node { value: 'B', next: Node { value: 'A', next: null } }

// should have two nodes
console.log(newStack);
// Stack {
//   length: 2,
//   last: Node { value: 'B', next: Node { value: 'A', next: null } }
// }

---

Next Part

We will implement our next method to pop the last node.

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Comments

[Jannik Wempe]

Hi, I love this series. I always try to implement it by myself first.

Came up with a slight improvement of the push function:

// ....
push(value) {
    const newNode = new Node(value);

    if (this.length) newNode.next = this.lastNode;
    this.lastNode = newNode;
    this.length++;
    return this;
  }
// ...

I also like to return the whole object for the possibility of chaining the function:

const myStack = new Stack();
myStack
.push("a")
.push("b")
.push("c");

Keep on doing this series. Love it! :-)

[miku86]

Hey Jannik,

thanks for your feedback,
I appreciate it.

You are right, there is some duplication.
I wanted to stay consistent with the Thoughts section,
therefore I implemented it my way.

Greetings
Michael