Linked lists; getting the current elements next element

how exactly is the next element of the current element accessed in a linked list?
for some strange reason:

Code:

printf("%s", start->next->custName);

gives me a segmentation fault.

The first element element is skipped, the second one is printed, and then thats when i get the segmentation fault.

You should show how you are building your list and your list structure

hi sand_man,

i've already posted the code here

but here's a slightly different version to show my problem:

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>

struct charNode
{
   double numberone;
   double numbertwo;
   struct charNode *next;
};

typedef struct charNode charNode;

void addElement(charNode **start, double numberone, double numbertwo);
void printList(charNode *start);
charNode* newNode(double numberone, double numbertwo);
void getString(charNode *start);

int main()
{
   charNode *start = NULL;

   getString(start);
   printList(start);
   return 0;
}


void getString(charNode *start)
{

     addElement(&start, 1, 1);
     addElement(&start, 2, 2);
     addElement(&start, 3, 3);
     printList(start);
}

void addElement(charNode **start, double numberone, double numbertwo)
{

   charNode *temp,*prev, *loc;

   temp = newNode(numberone, numbertwo);


   if (*start == NULL)
   {
      *start = temp;
   }

   else
   {
      loc = *start;
      prev = NULL;

      while (loc != NULL)
      {
         prev = loc;
         loc = loc->next;
      }


      temp->next = loc;
      if (prev == NULL)
      {
         *start = temp;
      }
      else
      {
         prev->next = temp;
      }
   }

}


charNode* newNode(double numberone, double numbertwo)
{

   charNode *temp;

   temp = (charNode *) malloc(sizeof(charNode));
   if (temp == NULL)
   {
      printf("WARNING - Memory allocation error\n");
      exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
   }


   temp->numberone = numberone;
   temp->numbertwo = numbertwo;


   temp->next = NULL;

   return temp;
}


void printList(charNode *start)
{

   while (start != NULL)
   {

      printf("\n%f %f\n", start->numberone, start->numbertwo);
      printf("%s %.2f %.2f %s", "next element is -+> ", start->next->numberone, start->next->numbertwo, "**OK**");
      start = start->next;

   }


/*

1.000000 1.000000
next element is -+>  2.00 2.00 **OK**
2.000000 2.000000
next element is -+>  3.00 3.00 **OK**
3.000000 3.000000
<--- BAM! segmentation fault.


notice how the "next element..." is not printed in the first line?

The answer is clear isn't it?

Code:

while (start != NULL)
{
    printf("\n%f %f\n", start->numberone, start->numbertwo);
    printf("%s %.2f %.2f %s", "next element is -+> ", start->next->numberone, start->next->numbertwo, "**OK**");
    start = start->next;
}

Imagine you've looped through and are at the last node in the list. The start pointer is valid, pointing to that last element. The parts of your code in red above however are attempting to access who-knows-what since the next pointer is NULL in those cases.

yes you're right but how exactly do i get a reference to the next element when its not null?

Here's what actually happens:

element one | start | next skips here for some reason
element two -> start | next points here when it's first run
element three-> next now points here second time
element four -> ???

it thinks that theres a last element because it skipped the first one and since there's no memory allocated to me in that area it throws a segmentation fault.

How do i get it to start off at element one?

It does not skip the next element the first time if your sample output is to be believed:

1.000000 1.000000
next element is -+> 2.00 2.00 **OK**
2.000000 2.000000
next element is -+> 3.00 3.00 **OK**
3.000000 3.000000
<--- BAM! segmentation fault.

notice how the "next element..." is not printed in the first line?

I don't get why you are saying "next element" is not printed in the first line. You do have a blank line printed before output really starts, but that is simply because of the beginning '\n' character you output in the printf("\n%f %f\n"... statement. Is that what you're talking about?

Lines in blue would be displayed when start points to the 1st node of the linked list. Lines in green would be displayed when start points to the 2nd node of the linked list. Lines in red would be displayed when start points to the 3rd (and last) node of the linked list.

Or am I missinterpretting what you are saying? Maybe I'm a bit unclear exactly what you are asking for?

ok i see, it was a simple case of:

Code:

   while (start != NULL )
   {

      printf("\n%f %f\n", start->numberone, start->numbertwo);
      if (start->next != NULL)
      {
         printf("%s %.2f %.2f %s", "next element is -+> ", start->next->numberone, start->next->numbertwo, "**OK**");
      }
      start = start->next;

   }

i guess that worked, but it's not really what i wanted. With the following modification:

Code:

 addElement(&start, 28.80, 17.60);
     addElement(&start, 5.60,  79.12);
     addElement(&start,  55.30, 49.90);
          addElement(&start,  22.22, 11.11);

printed out:

28.800000 17.600000

5.600000 79.120000

55.300000 49.900000

as you can see the last element 22.22, 11.11 is skipped
with the following code:

Code:

  while (start != NULL )
   {

      if (start->next != NULL)
      {
                printf("\n%f %f\n", start->numberone, start->numbertwo);
         //printf("%s %.2f %.2f %s", "next element is -+> ", start->next->numberone, start->next->numbertwo, "**OK**");
      }
      start = start->next;

   }

is there anyway to print it out without skipping the last node? It stops because when it hits the last element and when start->next is run, its null so the if condition fails which causes the start->numberone print statement to fail, when it's actually not null.

What about

Code:

 while (start != NULL )
   {

printf("\n%f %f\n", start->numberone, start->numbertwo);
         //printf("%s %.2f %.2f %s", "next element is -+> ", start->next->numberone, start->next->numbertwo, "**OK**");
     if (start->next == NULL)
          break;
                
      start = start->next;

   }

sorry i wasn't quiet clear. Yes that works perfectly fine for the "current" elements. The problem is with the next elements, in the while condition when it gets to the last element in the list it will equal true, when i attempt to access the start->next->xxx it get a segmentation fault because there isn' t memory allocated to that area.

i.e.

Code:

  while (start != NULL )
   {

printf("\n%f %f\n", start->numberone, start->numbertwo);
         printf("%s %.2f %.2f %s", "next element is -+> ", start->next->numberone, start->next->numbertwo, "**OK**");
     if (start->next == NULL)
          break;

      start = start->next;

   }

28.800000 17.600000
next element is -+> 5.60 79.12 **OK**
5.600000 79.120000
next element is -+> 55.30 49.90 **OK**
55.300000 49.900000
next element is -+> 22.22 11.11 **OK**
22.220000 11.110000
<it tries to access the next element after 22 which gives ->
abnormal program termination


what i was trying to do is access the current element, next element and not fall out of the list

it's quiet trivial because;

1. If you make a while condition saying that when start is not null, all the current elements will be printed but it will give an exception because at the last element the condition will equal true and then in the contents of the while loop it will attempt to access the next element

2. If you make a while condition saying that when start->next is not null then the last element will be skipped all together because start->next will equal false after the 2nd last element.

sorry, I hope i'm making sense

Ofcourse you would get a segmentation Fault. Your trying to access memory space that doesnt exist.

Code:

  while (start != NULL )
   {

printf("\n%f %f\n", start->numberone, start->numbertwo);
         printf("%s %.2f %.2f %s", "next element is -+> ", start->next->numberone, start->next->numbertwo, "**OK**"); // If start->next is null this wont work. This is causing segmentation fault.
     if (start->next == NULL)
          break;

      start = start->next;

   }

*Edited
And also hk_mp5kpdw already answered the question above. Scroll up and read thouroughly.

*Edited2
Oops i guess you understand what he already said. I cant help much i really dont know what your trying to do.

Yep, based on what he said i figured it out. But for some reason:

Code:

     while (start != NULL )
   {

      //printf("\n%f %f\n", start->numberone, start->numbertwo);
      if (start->next != NULL)
      {
         //printf("%s %.2f %.2f %s", "next element is -+> ", start->next->numberone, start->next->numbertwo, "**OK**");
         printf("\n%s%f%s%f ", "X is ", start->numberone, " Y is ", start->numbertwo );
         total += sqrt( ( pow( (start->numberone - start->next->numberone), 2) + pow( (start->numbertwo - start->next->numbertwo), 2) ));
      }
      start = start->next;

    printf("%s %.2f", "\nTotal is now ", total);

   }

X is 28.800000 Y is 17.600000
Total is now 65.75
X is 5.600000 Y is 79.120000
Total is now 123.40
X is 55.300000 Y is 49.900000
Total is now 174.38
Total is now 174.38

why is the last element contents:
22.22, 11.11
skipped?

That is becoz

Code:

printf("\n%s%f%s%f ", "X is ", start->numberone, " Y is ", start->numbertwo );

is inside

Code:

if (start->next != NULL)

If you do it like this. I dont see the last being skipped here. But I bet you would still have a problem??

Code:

     while (start != NULL )
   {

      printf("\n%f %f\n", start->numberone, start->numbertwo);

      if (start->next != NULL)
      {
         total += sqrt( ( pow( (start->numberone - start->next->numberone), 2) + pow( (start->numbertwo - start->next->numbertwo), 2) ));
      }
      start = start->next;

    printf("%s %.2f", "\nTotal is now ", total);

   }

Is this part importan to you?

Code:

      total += sqrt( ( pow( (start->numberone - start->next->numberone), 2) + pow( (start->numbertwo - start->next->numbertwo), 2) ));

what about put that out of the if( start-next==null). and replace the red part with zero if start-next would be null. There wouldnt be anything there anyway.


x =0;

if( start->next != null )
x = pow( (start->numbertwo - start->next->numbertwo), 2) );

Code:

      total += sqrt( ( pow( (start->numberone - start->next->numberone), 2) + x  )

yes, the total should be 183. You're right the last element is printed now but it is not being added to total for some reason.