Queue vs. Stack: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
A queue is a data structure where elements are processed in a first-in-first-out (FIFO) order, while a stack processes elements in a last-in-first-out (LIFO) order.
Key Differences
A queue organizes elements in a sequential order, adhering to FIFO, meaning the first element added is the first one removed. A stack, however, operates on a LIFO basis, where the last element added is the first one removed.
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In a queue, elements are added at one end, called the rear, and removed from the other end, known as the front. In contrast, in a stack, both addition (push) and removal (pop) of elements occur at the same end, referred to as the top.
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Queues are used in scenarios where order needs to be preserved, such as in printer tasks or customer service lines. Stacks are utilized in situations like undo mechanisms in software or for backtracking algorithms.
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Implementing a queue can be done using arrays or linked lists, ensuring elements maintain their order of insertion. Stacks are also implemented using arrays or linked lists, but order is not preserved in the same way.
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Queue operations include enqueue (adding an element) and dequeue (removing an element), while stack operations involve push (adding) and pop (removing).
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Comparison Chart
Addition/Removal Ends
Add at rear, remove from front
Add and remove from the top
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Data Structure
Implemented using arrays/linked lists with order preservation
Implemented using arrays/linked lists without preserving insertion order
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Queue and Stack Definitions
Queue
A data structure where the earliest added element is accessed first.
The bus loading queue organized passengers based on their arrival time.
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Stack
A model in computing for temporary storage and retrieval.
The function calls in the program were managed using a stack.
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Queue
A queue is a linear data structure following FIFO order.
The printer queue manages documents in the order they were sent.
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Stack
An orderly pile, especially one arranged in layers
A stack of newspapers.
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Queue
A collection where elements are added at one end and removed from the other.
Customers were served in the order they lined up in the queue.
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Stack
A large, usually conical pile of straw or fodder arranged for outdoor storage.
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Queue
A model used in computing and processing to manage order.
The call center used a queue to handle incoming calls.
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Stack
(Computers) A section of memory and its associated registers used for temporary storage of information in which the item most recently stored is the first to be retrieved.
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Queue
A sequential storage structure for data processing.
The queue at the ticket counter moved efficiently.
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Stack
A group of three rifles supporting each other, butt downward and forming a cone.
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Queue
A data structure from which the first item that can be retrieved is the one stored earliest.
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Queue
A long braid of hair worn hanging down the back of the neck; a pigtail.
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Stack
An English measure of coal or cut wood, equal to 108 cubic feet (3.06 cubic meters).
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Queue
A line of people, vehicles or other objects, in which one at the front end is dealt with first, the one behind is dealt with next, and so on, and which newcomers join at the opposite end (the back).
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Queue
A waiting list or other means of organizing people or objects into a first-come-first-served order.
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Queue
(computing) A data structure in which objects are added to one end, called the tail, and removed from the other, called the head (in the case of a FIFO queue). The term can also refer to a LIFO queue or stack where these ends coincide.
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Stack
(Games) To prearrange the order of (a deck of cards) so as to increase the chance of winning.
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Queue
A men's hairstyle with a braid or ponytail at the back of the head, such as that worn by men in Imperial China.
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Stack
To prearrange or fix unfairly so as to favor a particular outcome
Tried to stack the jury.
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Queue
(intransitive) To put oneself or itself at the end of a waiting line.
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Stack
To direct (aircraft) to circle at different altitudes while waiting to land.
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Stack
A large pile of hay, grain, straw, or the like, larger at the bottom than the top, sometimes covered with thatch.
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Stack
A pile of similar objects, each directly on top of the last.
Please bring me a chair from that stack in the corner.
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Queue
(information processing) an ordered list of tasks to be performed or messages to be transmitted
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Queue
Form a queue, form a line, stand in line;
Customers lined up in front of the store
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Stack
(programming) A linear data structure in which items inserted are removed in reverse order (the last item inserted is the first one to be removed).
History stack
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Stack
A stack data structure stored in main memory that is manipulated during machine language procedure call related instructions.
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Stack
An implementation of a protocol suite (set of protocols forming a layered architecture).
A TCP/IP stack is a library or set of libraries or of OS drivers that take care of networking.
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Stack
A combination of interdependent, yet individually replaceable, software components or technologies used together on a system.
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Stack
(math) A generalization of schemes in algebraic geometry and of sheaves.
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Stack
(geology) A coastal landform, consisting of a large vertical column of rock in the sea.
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Stack
(library) Compactly spaced bookshelves used to house large collections of books.
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Stack
(figuratively) A large amount of an object.
They paid him a stack of money to keep quiet.
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Stack
(bodybuilding) A blend of various dietary supplements or anabolic steroids with supposed synergistic benefits.
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Stack
(aviation) A holding pattern, with aircraft circling one above the other as they wait to land.
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Stack
(video games) The quantity of a given item which fills up an inventory slot or bag.
I've got 107 Golden Branches, but the stack size is 20 so they're taking up 6 spaces in my inventory.
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Stack
(transitive) To arrange in a stack, or to add to an existing stack.
Please stack those chairs in the corner.
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Stack
To arrange the cards in a deck in a particular manner.
This is the third hand in a row where you've drawn four of a kind. Someone is stacking the deck!
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Stack
To take all the money another player currently has on the table.
I won Jill's last $100 this hand; I stacked her!
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Stack
(transitive) To deliberately distort the composition of (an assembly, committee, etc.).
The Government was accused of stacking the parliamentary committee.
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Stack
To crash; to fall.
Jim couldn′t make it today as he stacked his car on the weekend.
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Stack
(gaming) To operate cumulatively.
A magical widget will double your mojo. And yes, they do stack: if you manage to get two magical widgets, your mojo will be quadrupled. With three, it will be octupled, and so forth.
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Stack
To collect precious metal in the form of various small objects such as coins and bars.
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Stack
A large and to some degree orderly pile of hay, grain, straw, or the like, usually of a nearly conical form, but sometimes rectangular or oblong, contracted at the top to a point or ridge, and sometimes covered with thatch.
But corn was housed, and beans were in the stack.
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Stack
An orderly pile of any type of object, indefinite in quantity; - used especially of piles of wood. A stack is usually more orderly than a pile
Against every pillar was a stack of billets above a man's height.
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Stack
A section of memory in a computer used for temporary storage of data, in which the last datum stored is the first retrieved.
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Stack
The section of a library containing shelves which hold books less frequently requested.
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Stack
To lay in a conical or other pile; to make into a large pile; as, to stack hay, cornstalks, or grain; to stack or place wood.
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Stack
To place in a vertical arrangement so that each item in a pile is resting on top of another item in the pile, except for the bottom item; as, to stack the papers neatly on the desk; to stack the bricks.
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Stack
To select or arrange dishonestly so as to achieve an unfair advantage; as, to stack a deck of cards; to stack a jury with persons prejudiced against the defendant.
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Stack
(often followed by `of') a large number or amount or extent;
A batch of letters
A deal of trouble
A lot of money
He made a mint on the stock market
It must have cost plenty
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Stack
A list in which the next item to be removed is the item most recently stored (LIFO)
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Stack
A large tall chimney through which combustion gases and smoke can be evacuated
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Stack
A storage device that handles data so that the next item to be retrieved is the item most recently stored (LIFO)
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Stack
Arrange in stacks;
Heap firewood around the fireplace
Stack your books up on the shelves
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Stack
Arrange the order of so as to increase one's winning chances;
Stack the deck of cards
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Stack
A stack is a data structure that follows LIFO order.
The undo feature in the software works like a stack.
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Stack
A collection of elements where addition and removal happen at the same end.
The stack of plates allowed for only the top plate to be taken first.
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Stack
A linear data structure used for storage and access in reverse order.
The browser's back button uses a stack to remember visited pages.
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Stack
A data structure where the most recently added element is accessed first.
The stack of books allowed easy access to the most recently added book.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
Can 'queue' be used as a verb?
Yes, it means to line up or wait in a queue.
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What is an example of a queue in computing?
In computing, a queue is a data structure where elements are added to the rear and removed from the front, following First-In-First-Out (FIFO) principle.
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Is 'queue' used differently in British and American English?
Yes, in British English, 'queue' is commonly used to mean a line, while in American English, 'line' is more common.
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What is an example of a stack in real life?
A pile of books or plates is a real-life example of a stack.
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What is a queue?
A queue is a line or sequence of people or things waiting their turn.
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What is a queue in transportation?
It refers to a line of vehicles waiting in order, like at a toll booth.
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What is a synonym for 'queue'?
A synonym for 'queue' is 'lineup' or 'waiting line'.
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How is 'stack' used in computing?
In computing, a stack is a data structure that follows Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) principle, where the last element added is the first to be removed.
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Can 'queue' refer to a list of tasks?
Yes, it can refer to a list of tasks or processes waiting to be handled, often in sequential order.
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Is 'queue' used in programming?
Yes, it's a fundamental data structure in programming languages.
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Can 'queue' be used in everyday language?
Yes, it's commonly used to refer to people waiting in line.
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Can 'stack' refer to a large amount of something?
Yes, it can colloquially refer to a large amount of money or resources.
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Is 'stack' used in programming languages?
Yes, it's a fundamental data structure used in many programming languages.
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What does 'stack up' mean?
'Stack up' means to compare or measure up against something else.
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What is a 'stack' in a computer's memory?
In computer memory, a stack is where temporary variables are stored and managed.
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How does a 'stack' differ from a 'queue'?
a stack is LIFO, while a queue is FIFO. This affects how items are added and removed in each structure.
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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