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HunorVadaszPerhat
HunorVadaszPerhat

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Java - Spring Cleaning with the `clear()` ๐Ÿงผ๐Ÿงน

Hello Dev.to enthusiasts! ๐ŸŒŸ

Ever felt your data structures getting ... messy? ๐Ÿค” Just like our rooms need a sprucing up now and then, sometimes our linked lists yearn for a reset. Introducing the clear() method, the ultimate decluttering tool for our singly linked list.

๐Ÿ› A Quick Architectural Peek: Our Singly Linked List

For the coding novices and the forgetful alike, here's a recap:

class Node {
    int data;
    Node next;

    Node(int data) {
        this.data = data;
        this.next = null;
    }
}

class SinglyLinkedList {
    Node head;
    SinglyLinkedList() {
        this.head = null;
    }
}
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Picture each node as a book ๐Ÿ“š on a vast bookshelf. Over time, these books accumulate, sometimes needing a rearrangement or cleanup.

๐Ÿง™โ€โ™‚๏ธ The Magic of clear()

public void clear() {
    // It's like magically making every book disappear for a fresh start.
    head = null;
}
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๐Ÿคทโ€โ™€๏ธ Why clear()?

One word: Efficiency โš™๏ธ. Instead of tediously removing each node (or book), clear() offers a fresh slate in one quick step. It's the reboot button ๐Ÿ”„ we sometimes need for our code.

In the next article we will look at insertAt(index, data) method

Cheers and happy coding! ๐Ÿš€

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