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What does "linked list" mean in programming?

linked list is one of the most common terms in software development. This guide explains what it means, how it is used in practice, and why it matters, with real examples from the developer world.

Definition

A data structure where each element (node) contains a value and a pointer to the next node. Unlike arrays, linked lists do not need contiguous memory, making insertions and deletions fast but random access slow.

Example

"A linked list is efficient for inserting elements in the middle but slow for index-based access."

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