path: root/lib/stdlib/doc/src/queue.xml

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<erlref>
  <header>
    <copyright>
      <year>1996</year><year>2014</year>
      <holder>Ericsson AB. All Rights Reserved.</holder>
    </copyright>
    <legalnotice>
      The contents of this file are subject to the Erlang Public License,
      Version 1.1, (the "License"); you may not use this file except in
      compliance with the License. You should have received a copy of the
      Erlang Public License along with this software. If not, it can be
      retrieved online at http://www.erlang.org/.
    
      Software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS"
      basis, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See
      the License for the specific language governing rights and limitations
      under the License.
    
    </legalnotice>

    <title>queue</title>
    <prepared>Joe</prepared>
    <responsible>Bjarne D&auml;cker</responsible>
    <docno>1</docno>
    <approved>Bjarne D&auml;cker</approved>
    <checked></checked>
    <date>97-01-15</date>
    <rev>B</rev>
    <file>queue.sgml</file>
  </header>
  <module>queue</module>
  <modulesummary>Abstract Data Type for FIFO Queues</modulesummary>
  <description>
    <p>This module implements (double ended) FIFO queues
      in an efficient manner.</p>
    <p>All functions fail with reason <c>badarg</c> if arguments
      are of wrong type, for example queue arguments are not
      queues, indexes are not integers, list arguments are
      not lists. Improper lists cause internal crashes.
      An index out of range for a queue also causes
      a failure with reason <c>badarg</c>.</p>
    <p>Some functions, where noted, fail with reason <c>empty</c>
      for an empty queue.</p>
    <p>The data representing a queue as used by this module
      should be regarded as opaque by other modules. Any code
      assuming knowledge of the format is running on thin ice.</p>
    <p>All operations has an amortized O(1) running time, except
      <c>len/1</c>, <c>join/2</c>, <c>split/2</c>, <c>filter/2</c>
      and <c>member/2</c> that have O(n).
      To minimize the size of a queue minimizing
      the amount of garbage built by queue operations, the queues
      do not contain explicit length information, and that is
      why <c>len/1</c> is O(n). If better performance for this
      particular operation is essential, it is easy for
      the caller to keep track of the length.</p>
    <p>Queues are double ended. The mental picture of
      a queue is a line of people (items) waiting for
      their turn. The queue front is the end with the item
      that has waited the longest. The queue rear is the end
      an item enters when it starts to wait. If instead using
      the mental picture of a list, the front is called head
      and the rear is called tail.</p>
    <p>Entering at the front and exiting at the rear
      are reverse operations on the queue.</p>
    <p>The module has several sets of interface functions. The
      "Original API", the "Extended API" and the "Okasaki API".</p>
    <p>The "Original API" and the "Extended API" both use the
      mental picture of a waiting line of items. Both also 
      have reverse operations suffixed "_r".</p>
    <p>The "Original API" item removal functions return compound
      terms with both the removed item and the resulting queue.
      The "Extended API" contain alternative functions that build
      less garbage as well as functions for just inspecting the
      queue ends. Also the "Okasaki API" functions build less garbage.</p>
    <p>The "Okasaki API" is inspired by "Purely Functional Data structures"
      by Chris Okasaki. It regards queues as lists.
      The API is by many regarded as strange and avoidable.
      For example many reverse operations have lexically reversed names,
      some with more readable but perhaps less understandable aliases.</p>
  </description>



  <section>
    <title>Original API</title>
  </section>

  <datatypes>
    <datatype>
      <name name="queue" n_vars="1"/>
      <desc><p>As returned by <c>new/0</c>.</p></desc>
    </datatype>
    <datatype>
      <name name="queue" n_vars="0"/>
    </datatype>
  </datatypes>

  <funcs>
    <func>
      <name name="new" arity="0"/>
      <fsummary>Create an empty queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Returns an empty queue.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
    <func>
      <name name="is_queue" arity="1"/>
      <fsummary>Test if a term is a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Tests if <c><anno>Term</anno></c> is a queue and returns <c>true</c> if so and
          <c>false</c> otherwise.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
    <func>
      <name name="is_empty" arity="1"/>
      <fsummary>Test if a queue is empty</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Tests if <c><anno>Q</anno></c> is empty and returns <c>true</c> if so and
          <c>false</c> otherwise.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
    <func>
      <name name="len" arity="1"/>
      <fsummary>Get the length of a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Calculates and returns the length of queue <c><anno>Q</anno></c>.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>

    <func>
      <name name="in" arity="2"/>
      <fsummary>Insert an item at the rear of a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Inserts <c><anno>Item</anno></c> at the rear of queue <c><anno>Q1</anno></c>.
          Returns the resulting queue <c><anno>Q2</anno></c>.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
    <func>
      <name name="in_r" arity="2"/>
      <fsummary>Insert an item at the front of a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Inserts <c><anno>Item</anno></c> at the front of queue <c><anno>Q1</anno></c>.
          Returns the resulting queue <c><anno>Q2</anno></c>.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
    <func>
      <name name="out" arity="1"/>
      <fsummary>Remove the front item from a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Removes the item at the front of queue <c><anno>Q1</anno></c>. Returns the
          tuple <c>{{value, <anno>Item</anno>}, <anno>Q2</anno>}</c>, where <c><anno>Item</anno></c> is the
          item removed and <c><anno>Q2</anno></c> is the resulting queue. If <c><anno>Q1</anno></c> is
          empty, the tuple <c>{empty, <anno>Q1</anno>}</c> is returned.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
    <func>
      <name name="out_r" arity="1"/>
      <fsummary>Remove the rear item from a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Removes the item at the rear of the queue <c><anno>Q1</anno></c>. Returns the
          tuple <c>{{value, <anno>Item</anno>}, <anno>Q2</anno>}</c>, where <c><anno>Item</anno></c> is the
          item removed and <c><anno>Q2</anno></c> is the new queue. If <c><anno>Q1</anno></c> is
          empty, the tuple <c>{empty, <anno>Q1</anno>}</c> is returned.  </p>
      </desc>
    </func>

    <func>
      <name name="from_list" arity="1"/>
      <fsummary>Convert a list to a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Returns a queue containing the items in <c><anno>L</anno></c> in the
          same order; the head item of the list will become the front
          item of the queue.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
    <func>
      <name name="to_list" arity="1"/>
      <fsummary>Convert a queue to a list</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Returns a list of the items in the queue in the same order;
          the front item of the queue will become the head of the list.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>

    <func>
      <name name="reverse" arity="1"/>
      <fsummary>Reverse a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Returns a queue <c><anno>Q2</anno></c> that contains the items of
          <c><anno>Q1</anno></c> in the reverse order.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
    <func>
      <name name="split" arity="2"/>
      <fsummary>Split a queue in two</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Splits <c><anno>Q1</anno></c> in two. The <c><anno>N</anno></c> front items
          are put in <c><anno>Q2</anno></c> and the rest in <c><anno>Q3</anno></c></p>
      </desc>
    </func>
    <func>
      <name name="join" arity="2"/>
      <fsummary>Join two queues</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Returns a queue <c><anno>Q3</anno></c> that is the result of joining
          <c><anno>Q1</anno></c> and <c><anno>Q2</anno></c> with <c><anno>Q1</anno></c> in front of
          <c><anno>Q2</anno></c>.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
    <func>
      <name name="filter" arity="2"/>
      <fsummary>Filter a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Returns a queue <c><anno>Q2</anno></c> that is the result of calling
          <c><anno>Fun</anno>(<anno>Item</anno>)</c> on all items in <c><anno>Q1</anno></c>,
          in order from front to rear.</p>
        <p>If <c><anno>Fun</anno>(<anno>Item</anno>)</c> returns <c>true</c>, <c>Item</c>
          is copied to the result queue. If it returns <c>false</c>,
          <c><anno>Item</anno></c> is not copied. If it returns a list
          the list elements are inserted instead of <c>Item</c> in the
          result queue.</p>
        <p>So, <c><anno>Fun</anno>(<anno>Item</anno>)</c> returning <c>[<anno>Item</anno>]</c> is thereby
          semantically equivalent to returning <c>true</c>, just
          as returning <c>[]</c> is semantically equivalent to
          returning <c>false</c>. But returning a list builds
          more garbage than returning an atom.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
    <func>
      <name name="member" arity="2"/>
      <fsummary>Test if an item is in a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Returns <c>true</c> if <c><anno>Item</anno></c> matches some element
          in <c><anno>Q</anno></c>, otherwise <c>false</c>.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
  </funcs>



  <section>
    <title>Extended API</title>
  </section>

  <funcs>
    <func>
      <name name="get" arity="1"/>
      <fsummary>Return the front item of a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Returns <c><anno>Item</anno></c> at the front of queue <c><anno>Q</anno></c>.</p>
        <p>Fails with reason <c>empty</c> if <c><anno>Q</anno></c> is empty.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
    <func>
      <name name="get_r" arity="1"/>
      <fsummary>Return the rear item of a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Returns <c><anno>Item</anno></c> at the rear of queue <c><anno>Q</anno></c>.</p>
        <p>Fails with reason <c>empty</c> if <c><anno>Q</anno></c> is empty.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
    <func>
      <name name="drop" arity="1"/>
      <fsummary>Remove the front item from a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Returns a queue <c><anno>Q2</anno></c> that is the result of removing
          the front item from <c><anno>Q1</anno></c>.</p>
        <p>Fails with reason <c>empty</c> if <c><anno>Q1</anno></c> is empty.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
    <func>
      <name name="drop_r" arity="1"/>
      <fsummary>Remove the rear item from a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Returns a queue <c><anno>Q2</anno></c> that is the result of removing
          the rear item from <c><anno>Q1</anno></c>.</p>
        <p>Fails with reason <c>empty</c> if <c><anno>Q1</anno></c> is empty.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
    <func>
      <name name="peek" arity="1"/>
      <fsummary>Return the front item of a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Returns the tuple <c>{value, <anno>Item</anno>}</c> where <c><anno>Item</anno></c> is the
          front item of <c><anno>Q</anno></c>, or <c>empty</c> if <c><anno>Q</anno></c> is empty.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
    <func>
      <name name="peek_r" arity="1"/>
      <fsummary>Return the rear item of a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Returns the tuple <c>{value, <anno>Item</anno>}</c> where <c><anno>Item</anno></c> is the
          rear item of <c><anno>Q</anno></c>, or <c>empty</c> if <c><anno>Q</anno></c> is empty.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
  </funcs>


  <section>
    <title>Okasaki API</title>
  </section>

  <funcs>
    <func>
      <name name="cons" arity="2"/>
      <fsummary>Insert an item at the head of a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Inserts <c><anno>Item</anno></c> at the head of queue <c><anno>Q1</anno></c>. Returns
          the new queue <c><anno>Q2</anno></c>.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
    <func>
      <name name="head" arity="1"/>
      <fsummary>Return the item at the head of a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Returns <c><anno>Item</anno></c> from the head of queue <c><anno>Q</anno></c>.</p>
        <p>Fails with reason <c>empty</c> if <c><anno>Q</anno></c> is empty.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
    <func>
      <name name="tail" arity="1"/>
      <fsummary>Remove the head item from a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Returns a queue <c><anno>Q2</anno></c> that is the result of removing
          the head item from <c><anno>Q1</anno></c>.</p>
        <p>Fails with reason <c>empty</c> if <c><anno>Q1</anno></c> is empty.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
    <func>
      <name name="snoc" arity="2"/>
      <fsummary>Insert an item at the tail of a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Inserts <c><anno>Item</anno></c> as the tail item of queue <c><anno>Q1</anno></c>. Returns
          the new queue <c><anno>Q2</anno></c>.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
    <func>
      <name name="daeh" arity="1"/>
      <name name="last" arity="1"/>
      <fsummary>Return the tail item of a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Returns the tail item of queue <c><anno>Q</anno></c>.</p>
        <p>Fails with reason <c>empty</c> if <c><anno>Q</anno></c> is empty.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
    <func>
      <name name="liat" arity="1"/>
      <name name="init" arity="1"/>
      <name name="lait" arity="1"/>
      <fsummary>Remove the tail item from a queue</fsummary>
      <desc>
        <p>Returns a queue <c><anno>Q2</anno></c> that is the result of removing
          the tail item from <c><anno>Q1</anno></c>.</p>
        <p>Fails with reason <c>empty</c> if <c><anno>Q1</anno></c> is empty.</p>
        <p>The name <c>lait/1</c> is a misspelling - do not use it anymore.</p>
      </desc>
    </func>
  </funcs>

</erlref>