From:	seth AT kansmen DOT com (Seth Jones)
Newsgroups:	comp.lang.c++,comp.os.msdos.djgpp,comp.programming
Subject:	Re: Question: Linked lists and classes: Self initiation
Message-ID:	<MPG.118e56767e41ca9c9896f7@client.sw.news.psi.net>
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Organization:	Kansmen
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Date:	Mon, 26 Apr 1999 18:45:01 GMT
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NNTP-Posting-Date:	Mon, 26 Apr 1999 14:45:01 EDT
To:	djgpp AT delorie DOT com
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In article <37213049 DOT 1471831 AT news-server>, -Gadget-nospam-
@vic.bigpond.net.au says...
> A linked list is an iterative structure, not a recursive one.
> A tree structure is recursive.

You've never programmed in LISP, have you?
The typical C++ definition of a linked list is something like

struct node
{
   type value;
   node *next;
};
If that's not a recursive definition, I don't know what is.
In fact it is _also_ an iterative structure, because iteration and tail-
recursion are functionally equivalent.

> As was mentioned earlier, this makes an interesting stunt (stunt?!),
> but is a bit like peeling oranges with a potato peeler. There are much
> better and more efficient ways, so why make life difficult.
> You wouldn't rewrite the code 'for (n=0 ; n<100; n++)' as a recursive
> routine... or would you?

Only if I was rewriting it in LISP, or some other functional language. 
C++ generally handles iteration more efficiently than recursion (I think 
I mentioned that before). 

Seth Jones

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