one million dollar question

Hello out there!

I'm currently programming a linked list using C++ classes and I think I may need some advice. Here are my class declarations:

template <class TYPE>
class NODE {
protected:
NODE *create_node(T &item);

private:
TYPE info;
NODE *next;
};

template <class TYPE>
class LINKLIST : NODE<TYPE> {
public:
LINKLIST(void);
~LINKLIST(void);

void insert_node(TYPE &item, int nodal_pos);
void delete_node(TYPE &item, int nodal_pos);
TYPE retrieve_node(TYPE &item, int nodal_pos);

private:
NODE *head;
NODE *temp;
NODE *rover;
NODE *trailer;
int node_count;
};

Okay. Basically what is done here is to let NODE call itself recursively and create a NODE dynamically. insert_node() calls create_node() to do this and so on...
This style works properly when I implement it. But...
it looks somewhat awkward to me.

Now my one million dollar questio is:

Is there some other way to implement my list using only one class? or maybe two classes that looks better?

Hope you people can give me some advice

Thanks!

*COUGH* CODE BLOCKS *COUGH*

Use list in C++ Standard Template Library(STL). Check the source code of STL is a good way to study.

Um, to be quite honest, I don't separate the node from the head. That is, the head is simply the first object and is never used to store data. It's sole purpose is to tell me whether the list is empty, etc. An entry point.


Here's a non-templated version with integers:

Code:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <conio.c>


class List { public: 

List *next;

int data;




List(){ next = NULL; data = 0; }


int Count() {

int count = 0;
List *p = this;

while( p->next )
 {
   p = p->next;  //...NOTE: advance pointer - THEN do stuff...
   ++count;
 }

return count;  
}






List *GetTail() { List *t = this;  while( t->next) t = t->next; return t; }





List *Push( int num ) {

List *g = GetTail();
List *New = new List;

g->next = New;

New->data = num;

return New;
}





int *PopList() {

int counted = Count(), k = 0;

if(!counted) return NULL;

int *array = new int[counted];

List *i = this;

while( i->next )
 {
   i = i->next;
   array[ k++ ] = i->data;
 }

return array;
}
};









int main()
{



List nums;

char buff[50];

int *array, count, c = 0;




do{


printf("\n\n\n Enter A Number, Then \"Enter\". \n\n");
printf("                   \"x\" Quits...\n\n");   

fgets(buff, 50, stdin);

clrscr();

if( !strcmp( buff, "x\n") || !strcmp( buff, "X\n")  )
break;

nums.Push( atoi( buff ) );


}while(1);


count = nums.Count();

array = nums.PopList();


printf("Total Numbers Entered: %i\n\n", count);
 
while( c < count )
 {
   printf(" %i: %i  \n\n", c, array[c++]);
   getch();
 }



return 0;
}

You have good points people.

Thanx for your ideas! I'll try out your strategies when I go home.