Understanding Stack Data Structure and Real-World Use Cases
Tags: stack, webdev, java, dsa
Published: 2023-11-08 16:10:43

In this Article, we'll explore about Stack & its methods and
Real-life Use Cases of Stack and Best Practice to use.

## What is Stack ?

Stack is a linear data structure that follows a particular order in which the operations are performed. The order may be LIFO(Last In First Out) or FILO(First In Last Out). LIFO implies that the element that is inserted last, comes out first and FILO implies that the element that is inserted first, comes out last.

In other words, a stack can be defined as a container in which insertion and deletion can be done from the one end known as the top of the stack.


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/gmnowh59tm0713omqojk.jpg)

## Operation on Stack

**push():** When we insert an element in a stack then the operation is known as a push. If the stack is full then the overflow condition occurs.
**pop():** When we delete an element from the stack, the operation is known as a pop. If the stack is empty means that no element exists in the stack, this state is known as an underflow state.
**isEmpty():** It determines whether the stack is empty or not.
**isFull():** It determines whether the stack is full or not.'
**peek():** It returns the element at the given position.
**count():** It returns the total number of elements available in a stack.
**change():** It changes the element at the given position.
**display():** It prints all the elements available in the stack.

## Applications of Stack

**Mathematical expression**: Stacks are used to evaluate mathematical expressions, such as infix, postfix, and prefix expressions. They are also used to convert one expression to another.
**Backtracking:** Stacks are used in backtracking algorithms to keep track of the path taken to reach a particular point in the algorithm.
**Function call:** Stacks are used to keep track of function calls and return addresses in programming languages.
**Memory Management:** Stacks are used in memory management to allocate and deallocate memory for variables and data structures.

## Advantages of Stack

- Stacks are simple to implement and can be created using arrays, linked lists, or even dynamic memory allocation.

- Stacks are efficient in memory management as they only allocate memory for the elements that are currently in the stack.

- The push and pop operations have O(1) time complexity, which means that take constant time regardless of the size of the stack.

## Disadvantages of Stack

- Static stacks have a fixed size, which means that in a stack we can add limited elements.

- Stacks can suffer from **overflow** when you try to add more elements than the stack size, and **underflow** when you try to remove an element from an empty stack.

- Stacks can only be used to store and retrieve data in a specific order, whereas queues and trees can be used to store and retrieve data in a variety of orders.

## Real-World Use Cases of Stack

**Web Browsers:** Web browsers use stacks to keep track of the history of websites you visit.
Call Logs: Call logs in mobile phones use stacks.

**Text Editors:** Text editors like Microsoft Word, Excel, or Notepad use stacks for their undo or redo.

**Syntax Parsing:** Syntaxes in languages are parsed using stacks.

**Converting Infix to Postfix Expressions:** Stacks are used to convert infix to postfix expressions.

**Message Logs:** Message logs and all messages you get are arranged in a stack.