What powers your browser history, undo/redo in apps, or navigation between screens?
Behind the scenes → it’s the Linked List.
And there are two key types you should know: Singly and Doubly Linked List.
Singly Linked List (SLL):
Each node = data + next pointer
Can move forward only
Lightweight in memory (just one pointer)
Example: A planned route in a GPS application can be viewed as a singly linked list of instructions.
Doubly Linked List (DLL):
Each node = prev pointer + data + next pointer
Can move both forward and backward
Requires more memory (two pointers per node)
Example: Browser history or Undo/Redo in editors
Quick Comparison:
Traversal: SLL → one-way | DLL → two-way
Deletion: SLL = harder | DLL = easier if you have the node
Memory: SLL lighter | DLL heavier
Use cases: SLL for simple forward-only data | DLL for flexible operations
Next time you hit back in your browser or undo a mistake, remember, it’s Linked Lists in action.
What’s your favorite real world use case of linked lists?
Drop it in the comments ⬇️