Subj : Re: How to deal with Tree with several branchs?
To   : comp.programming
From : Willem
Date : Tue Jul 26 2005 08:56 pm

Davy wrote:
) My program deal with a several level tree with several branchs. The
) amount of branchs from father node is not known. So I want to creat a
) tree with dynamic branchs.
)
) Now I use the structure:
) typedef struct gnodes
) {
) 	int level; //tree level
) 	struct gnodes* pfather;
) 	struct gnodes* pbrother;
) 	struct gnodes* pchild;
) 	struct gnodes* puncle;
) 	} gnode;
)
) The child pointer link one by one form a chain, something like:
) Father(i)->Child(1)->Child(2)->...->Child(n-1)->Child(n).
) But I can not search child randomly.
)
) How to design a better structure?
) Any suggestions will be appreciated!

One classical way is to have a tree with multiple branches is like this:

 struct node {
      struct node *sibling;
      struct node *child;
      <... node data ...> 
 }

Why yes, that does look an awful lot like a binary tree, doesn't it ?
In fact, you can store any tree in a binary tree.

Another classical way is to have something like:

 struct node {
     struct node **children;
     <... node data ...>
 }

Which requires allocating space from the heap every time, but means
you can access the last child without having to walk the sibling list.

Take your pick


SaSW, Willem
-- 
Disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for any of the statements
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            No I'm not paranoid. You all think I'm paranoid, don't you !
#EOT

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