Range based for loop for linked list

Question

I have a function which operates on a nested linked list. The function is the following:

void DoLiana(void) {

    PlotPointer plot;
    TreePointer tree;

        plot = FirstPlot;
        while (plot != nullptr) {
            tree = plot->FirstTree;
            while (tree != nullptr) {
                if (tree->isLiana) {
                    if (tree->attachedTree == nullptr && TestForLianaAttach(plot, tree))
                    DoLianaAttachement(plot, tree);
                }
                tree = tree->next;
            }
            plot = plot->next;
        }    
}

Because this type of iterations happen multiple times in my code I am looking for a way to make the iteration more compact and expressive. I read that in C++11 there are ranged based for loops that iterate over a set. Would this construct be applicable in this situation? Or are there other possible ways to perform these iterations?

Answer 1

Yes you can define the appropriate functions for this.

Since oyu have given very few details. Lets make some assumptions.

struct Tree
{
    bool  isLiana;
    void* attachedTree;
    Tree* next;
};

using TreePointer = Tree*;

struct Plot
{
    TreePointer FirstTree;
    Plot*       next;
};

using PlotPointer = Plot*;

bool TestForLianaAttach(PlotPointer, TreePointer);
void DoLianaAttachement(PlotPointer, TreePointer);

PlotPointer FirstPlot;

To make this work with pointers you need to define the appropriate begin() and end() methods for your pointers.

NextIterator<Plot> begin(PlotPointer ptr)  {return make_NextIterator(ptr);}
NextIterator<Plot> end(PlotPointer)        {return make_NextIterator<Plot>();}

NextIterator<Tree> begin(TreePointer ptr)  {return make_NextIterator(ptr);}
NextIterator<Tree> end(TreePointer)        {return make_NextIterator<Tree>();}

The range based for looks for begin() and end() functions that can be used with your type. Now the standard has default std::begin() and std::end() that call the begin() and end() methods on the objects passed. But you can provide your own (like the above) to do a special case for your type/pointer.

Now since your pointers use p = p->next; to advance we need an iterator object that does this part of the work. In the above code I have called this NextIterator . It is relatively easy to define.

template<typename T>
struct NextIterator
{
    T* p;

    NextIterator():       p(nullptr) {}
    NextIterator(T* ptr): p(ptr)     {}

    NextIterator& operator++(){p = p->next;return *this;}

    T const& operator*() const  {return *p;}
    T&       operator*()        {return *p;}
    T const* operator->() const {return p;}
    T*       operator->()       {return p;}

    bool operator==(NextIterator const& rhs) const {return p == rhs.p;}
    bool operator!=(NextIterator const& rhs) const {return p != rhs.p;}
};
template<typename T>
NextIterator<T> make_NextIterator(T* val)   {return NextIterator<T>(val);}
template<typename T>
NextIterator<T> make_NextIterator()         {return NextIterator<T>{};}

Now we can re-write your loops using the range based for.

void DoLianaRange(void) {

        for(auto& plot: FirstPlot) {
            for(auto& tree: plot.FirstTree) {
                if (tree.isLiana) {
                    if (tree.attachedTree == nullptr && TestForLianaAttach(&plot, &tree))
                    DoLianaAttachement(&plot, &tree);
                }
            }
        }
}

Original version for comparison.

void DoLiana(void) {

    PlotPointer plot;
    TreePointer tree;

        plot = FirstPlot;
        while (plot != nullptr) {
            tree = plot->FirstTree;
            while (tree != nullptr) {
                if (tree->isLiana) {
                    if (tree->attachedTree == nullptr && TestForLianaAttach(plot, tree))
                    DoLianaAttachement(plot, tree);
                }
                tree = tree->next;
            }
            plot = plot->next;
        }
}

Or you could simply use the standard for loop!!

void DoLianaForLoop(void) {

        for (PlotPointer plot = FirstPlot; plot != nullptr; plot = plot->next) {
            for (TreePointer tree= plot->FirstTree; tree != nullptr; tree = tree->next) {
                if (tree->isLiana) {
                    if (tree->attachedTree == nullptr && TestForLianaAttach(plot, tree))
                    DoLianaAttachement(plot, tree);
                }
            }
        }
}

Code all in one place (in the correct order to compile).

struct Tree
{
    bool  isLiana;
    void* attachedTree;
    Tree* next;
};

using TreePointer = Tree*;

struct Plot
{
    TreePointer FirstTree;
    Plot*       next;
};

using PlotPointer = Plot*;

template<typename T>
struct NextIterator
{
    T* p;

    NextIterator():       p(nullptr) {}
    NextIterator(T* ptr): p(ptr)     {}

    NextIterator& operator++(){p = p->next;return *this;}

    T const& operator*() const  {return *p;}
    T&       operator*()        {return *p;}
    T const* operator->() const {return p;}
    T*       operator->()       {return p;}

    bool operator==(NextIterator const& rhs) const {return p == rhs.p;}
    bool operator!=(NextIterator const& rhs) const {return p != rhs.p;}
};

template<typename T>
NextIterator<T> make_NextIterator(T* val)   {return NextIterator<T>(val);}
template<typename T>
NextIterator<T> make_NextIterator()         {return NextIterator<T>{};}

NextIterator<Plot> begin(PlotPointer ptr)  {return make_NextIterator(ptr);}
NextIterator<Plot> end(PlotPointer)        {return make_NextIterator<Plot>();}

NextIterator<Tree> begin(TreePointer ptr)  {return make_NextIterator(ptr);}
NextIterator<Tree> end(TreePointer)        {return make_NextIterator<Tree>();}

bool TestForLianaAttach(PlotPointer, TreePointer);
void DoLianaAttachement(PlotPointer, TreePointer);

PlotPointer FirstPlot;

void DoLianaRange(void) {

        for(auto& plot: FirstPlot) {
            for(auto& tree: plot.FirstTree) {
                if (tree.isLiana) {
                    if (tree.attachedTree == nullptr && TestForLianaAttach(&plot, &tree))
                    DoLianaAttachement(&plot, &tree);
                }
            }
        }
}
void DoLiana(void) {

    PlotPointer plot;
    TreePointer tree;

        plot = FirstPlot;
        while (plot != nullptr) {
            tree = plot->FirstTree;
            while (tree != nullptr) {
                if (tree->isLiana) {
                    if (tree->attachedTree == nullptr && TestForLianaAttach(plot, tree))
                    DoLianaAttachement(plot, tree);
                }
                tree = tree->next;
            }
            plot = plot->next;
        }
}

Answer 2

To follow up on Serge Ballesta's comment , you could immediately use vanilla for loops here, replacing the while loops. So your sample code will become:

void DoLiana(void) {

    for (PlotPointer plot = FirstPlot; plot; plot = plot->next) { 
        for (TreePointer tree = plot->FirstTree; tree; tree = tree->next) {
            if (tree->isLiana && !tree->attachedTree && TestForLianaAttach(plot, tree)) {
                DoLianaAttachement(plot, tree);
            }
        }
    }
}

This shortens the code, and adds locality and perhaps readability. And also maintains compatibility with C, if this is an advantage.