A simple introduction to Queues.

At the heart of queues lies the First-In-First-Out (FIFO) principle.

Similar to people waiting at a ticket counter — the first person in line is the first to get service.

• Enqueue: Add an element to the back. • Dequeue: Remove the front element

Linear Queue

A basic queue with a fixed size.

Once full, it can't accept new elements.

It follows a simple structure akin to a daily traditional queue.

Example: a print job queue where documents wait in line to be printed in the requested order.

Circular Queue

This variant of the linear queue wraps around, allowing elements to be added and removed in a circular manner.

When the queue reaches its maximum size, it starts overwriting the oldest elements.

Used by embedded systems and device drivers.

Priority Queue

This queue assigns priorities to its elements.

It dequeues the element with the highest priority first.

It is ideal for scenarios requiring task prioritization and resource management.

Real-World Applications:

• Task Scheduling: Manage pending tasks, processing them in the order received.

• Background Processing: Handle long-running tasks asynchronously.

• Message Brokers: It facilitates communication in distributed systems or microservices.

TL;DR

Enqueue to add, dequeue to remove—simple yet powerful!

Queues are the backbone of modern software architecture, providing a structured and efficient way to:

• Manage data flow • Coordinate tasks • Handle concurrency

Knowing about queues will help you become a better SWE. Master them!