Thread: Minimum element value of a linked list

I am working through C in linked lists. I have been stumped on these two things. I have a structure that resembles :

Code:

typedef struct name
            {
                char *first;
                char *last;
                struct name *next;
             } person;

with the structure variable : people;

person people *head,*tail * current;

now I need a small function that will find the smallest value of the list with the data:

current->first=John;
current->last=Marshall
current->first=Sam;
current->last=sneed;
current->first=Ann;
current->last=abercrombie;
and return a chart in the function minimum.

Code:

char minimum ( struct name min);

now how do I use a for construct to start at the second vale and iterate by 1 throughout the list?

I have a couple of sorts I am working on!

John

Psuedo code.
The code will be just like finding smallest/largest element in array..

Code:

smallest = list;  
while( list != NULL) {
  if( list->data < smallest->data ) {
       smallest = list;
  }
  list = list->next
}

Bayint Naung:

What would I return?

John

If i wanted a character string to come back to set equal to min then?

What is 'min' as compared to these names? Are you trying to return one name, or two?
I am trying to return 2 strings (first and last of the smallest). With a return statement at the end


Or the first and last combine in a string?
min->first;
min->last;

which yields the the minimum value when you read through the list.

The term 'min' doesn't really fit when you're comparing strings.

strcmp( min->first, curr->first)?

John

could show me the full code?

using this:

Code:

people * minimum (struct name *people)
{
   people person *min, *current;
  min=people;
while( list != NULL) {
  if( people->fname < min->fname) {
      min =current;
  }
  list = list->next
}

return current;

Is the above correct? If not what changes have to be made?

Code:

 person * minimum (struct people *list)
{
    person *min;
    while (list !=NULL)
    {
      if (strcmp(min->fname, list->fname)<0)
        {
            return min;
         }
      }
      what  do I return here?

}

Is this right?

Here's what I have for an array:

Code:

int main ()
{
 
int icounter=0;
int array[10]={12,34,2,3,90,34,56,100,6}
int min=a[0];

for(i=0;i<=10;i++)
{
  if (array[i]<min)
   {
     min=a[i];
    
  }
 return min;
}

ok, now this is what I have for linked lists

Code:

int main()
{
person *min, *curr;

//question : how do I convert a[0]?
while (curr !=NULL)
{
   if(strcmp(min->fname,curr->fname)<0)
     {
        min->fname=curr->fname;
      }
 }
return min->fname;
}

Right?

John

Do you know how to walk through a linked list?