What is Queues in Data Structures | The First-In, First-Out Principle

A queue is a linear data structure that follows the First-In, First-Out (FIFO) principle. This means that the first element added to the queue will be the first one to be removed. It is a fundamental data structure that is commonly used in computer science and programming to manage and organize data.

In a queue, elements can be added to the back of the queue, called enqueue, and removed from the front, called dequeue. The element that is at the front of the queue is the one that is next to be removed. The element at the back of the queue is the most recent addition. The size of a queue can be limited or it can have no limit, this depend on the specific implementation.

Queues have many practical uses in computer science and programming. They are commonly used for scheduling tasks, handling interrupts, and managing data flow in networks and operating systems. They are also used in simulations, for example, in a queue for a checkout counter at a store, where customers are served one at a time in the order that they arrived.

There are different types of queues, such as circular queues, priority queues, and double-ended queues. Each of them has its own specific characteristics and use cases. For example, a priority queue is a queue where each element has a priority associated with it, and the elements are dequeued according to their priority.

In summary, a queue is a linear data structure that follows the First-In, First-Out (FIFO) principle and it is commonly used in computer science and programming to manage and organize data. It has many practical uses and can be implemented in different forms, like circular queues, priority queues, and double-ended queues, each with its own characteristics and use cases.