Hey everyone! I've been studying data structures during my time at university, and while I understand the theory behind trees, I really struggle when it comes to coding them. It feels like my mind just goes blank! I've got a good handle on linked lists, even created a little jumping rabbit game to solidify my understanding. Now, I want to amp up my skills and go from zero to hero with trees, covering everything from the basics to decision trees and random forests. I'm looking for websites or structured paths that can guide me step by step through concepts like binary trees, binary search trees, heaps, tree traversal techniques, and more. If anyone could share resources or learning paths that fit this description, I'd greatly appreciate it! Thanks in advance!
6 Answers
Pick any structures you want to focus on! Write tests based on examples you find online and run them. It’s all about hands-on practice!
You really don’t need a specific website; just dive into programming! The best way to grasp these concepts is through practice. Try coding the structures directly instead of relying on online courses.
To get started, try coding a non-balanced tree instead of jumping straight into binary trees. Use what you've learned about linked lists to understand tree structures better. Start with basics like printing the tree to your terminal, and work on one operation at a time, similar to how you approached linked lists. You can draw out the tree on paper, write pseudocode, then implement the actual code. Going through the small steps will really help solidify your understanding!
I see your point, but linked lists are pretty basic. I feel like I understand them really well since they're straightforward. Trees are a whole different game!
You might want to implement these tree structures in C, working directly with pointers and memory. It’s a bit tricky at first, but it’ll give you a solid foundation. Let me know if you have any questions about starting with C!
I’ve only used C# and C++, so where do I begin with C? Any tips?
I've been searching for good resources as well! Ideally, something that visually represents the data structures would be perfect. In school, we had a GUI that illustrated algorithms like DFS and BFS, which made learning simple. If anyone knows a site like that, please share!
Totally agree! Focusing on data structures is where the real challenges lie. I’m in a similar boat, but I manage to code games without diving into textbooks.
Leetcode is your friend! It has tons of exercises specifically for binary trees and is excellent if you're prepping for interviews. Here's a link to get started: [Leetcode Binary Tree Problems](https://leetcode.com/problem-list/binary-tree/).
That’s kind of a vague answer, don’t you think? Just programming is not enough. We need structured resources!