Data Structures in Java: A Laboratory Course

Data Structures in Java: A Laboratory Course defines active learning. With sixteen labs to choose from, this laboratory manual creates a "learn by doing" experience for its students by engaging them in implementation of data structures and in application of algorithms. Students are challenged to exercise their knowledge in each of the four-part structure laboratory assignments: Prelab: Students use the Prelab assignments to explore and implement the basic operations of a data structure. Bridge: During the Bridge exercises, students test and debug the advanced data types they developed in the prelab and are provided with substantial feedback and support. In-lab: Students gain programming experience during the in-lab projects as they apply the data structure to a real-world problem. Postlab: Following their lab class, students analyze and validate the efficiency or utility of the data structure in the Postlab exercise. ADT Implementation: The laboratories are designed to complement a variety of approaches to implementing each ADT. All ADT definitions stress the use of data abstraction and generic data elements. As a result, you can adapt them with minimal effort to suit different implementation strategies. For each ADT, class definitions that frame an implementation of the ADT are given as part of the corresponding Prelab exercise. This definition framework is also used in the visualization method that accompanies the laboratory. Should you elect to adopt a somewhat different implementation strategy, you need only make minor changes to the data members in the class definitions and corresponding modifications to the visualization routine. You do not need to change anything else in either the supplied software or the laboratory text itself.