Queue
A queue is a linear data structure that follows the First-In-First-Out (FIFO) principle, where elements are added at the rear (enqueue) and removed from the front (dequeue). It is commonly used to manage tasks or data in a sequential order, such as in scheduling algorithms, buffering, and breadth-first search in graphs. Queues can be implemented using arrays, linked lists, or specialized libraries in various programming languages.
Developers should learn and use queues when they need to handle data or tasks in the exact order they arrive, such as in print job scheduling, message queuing systems (e.g., RabbitMQ, Kafka), or handling requests in web servers to prevent overload. They are essential for algorithms like breadth-first search in graph traversal and for implementing buffering in streaming applications to ensure smooth data flow without loss.