Creating a sublist from a linked list based on position? - c

Question

I'm trying to type a function that takes 2 linked list. One has the values to be printed and the second has positions for the linked list values to be printed. It gives me an error that i put as comment in the code.
Structs
typedef int Item;
typedef struct node_struct * link;
typedef struct list_struct * list;
struct node_struct {
Item item;
link next;
};
struct list_struct {
link first;
int length;
};
Function:
list sublist(list A, list pos_list) {
link tempOne;
link tempTwo;
link node = malloc(sizeof *node);
tempOne = pos_list->first;
tempTwo = A->first;
int counter;
while(tempOne->next != NULL)
{
counter = 0;
while(counter < tempOne->item && tempOne->next != NULL)
{
tempTwo = tempTwo->next;
counter = counter+1;
}
node->item = tempTwo->item; //EXC_BAD_ACCESS code:1
node = node->next;
tempTwo = A->first;
tempOne = tempOne->next;
counter = 0;
}
return node;

Answer 1

There are bunch of bad practices in the code which makes understanding (and hence debugging and maintaining) such code very difficult for you and for us.
You are creating a pointer typdef when there is no intention to hide the actual data behind the pointer
You are creating a linked list of positions and a linked list of data, using the same data type. I understand in your case both are int, but then don't use the misleading typedef int Item and simply stick to using int
tempOne and tempTwo are probably the worst naming options in this case, not only for calling the variables with non-intuitive names like temp, but also calling the first arg as Two and second arg as One - as counter-intuitive as it can get
I can see cases where you use 2 different structures node_struct (which frankly I would call node) and list_struct see node_structcomment), but in this example, you don't need list_struct, it only adds more confusion to the code.
You should really do the "find" job (the inner for loop)in a separate function, so you can easily handle errors, and not confuse the inner loop with the outer loop
With that out of the way, You haven't specified if the pos_list actually contains relative positions (position from previous position) or absolute positions (like array index). I will assume it is absolute position.
after you do node = node->next; you need to malloc it again. Or rather just malloc it before using it on line node->item = tempTwo->item; and get rid of the malloc out side the loops
I don't have a c compiler handy, so couldn't test it. But I don't see any other issues
EDIT
I noticed that the return value for sublist is always just the last node, instead of the first node in the linked list - this is obviously going to be a problem too.
Below is how I would write this code. Remember, this is not a debugged and tested code, but mere expression of the idea (first draft if you will)
typedef struct Node_ Node;
struct Node_ {
int Item;
Node* Next;
};
Node* GetNodeAt(Node *dataList, int indx) {
for (int i = 0; i < indx && dataList != NULL; ++i)
dataList = dataList->Next;
return dataList;
}
Node* SubList(Node *dataList, Node *posList) {
Node* origDataList = dataList;
Node *currentRetNode = malloc(sizeof(Node));
Node *prevRetNode = NULL, *returnList = currentRetNode;
while (posList->Next != NULL) {
// Find the node in dataList
Node *node = GetNodeAt(dataList, posList->Item);
// create/manage the linked list to be returned
prevRetNode = currentRetNode;
currentRetNode->Next = malloc(sizeof(Node));
currentRetNode->Item = node->Item;
currentRetNode = currentRetNode->Next;
posList = posList->Next; // move to the next index
}
free(currentRetNode);
if (prevRetNode == NULL)
returnList = NULL;
else
prevRetNode->Next = NULL;
return returnList;
}