Implementation of Queue using two stacks in C

March 19, 2025

Queue using two Stack in C

Queue and stack are fundamentally two different linear data structures, but given with one or more of any one data structures, we can just convert it into other and apply it in real. Here, in this section we will learn, Implementation of Queue using two stacks in C . We will built enqueue operation , dequeue operation functions using stacks.
Implementation of Queue using two stacks in C

Implementation of Queue using two stacks in C

Algorithm :

  • We take two stacks say stack1 and stack2.
  • stack1 will be working as the main queue and stack2 will help us in reversing the order of stack1.
  • For enqueue operation , We will simply push the element let say x into stack1.
  • For dequeue operation ,
    • If both the stack1 and stack2 are empty then we need to print that queue is empty.
    • If stack2 is empty then we need to push all the elements from stack1 to stack2 .
    • Pop the element from stack2 and return it.
Implementation of Queue using two stacks in CImplementation of Queue using two stacks in C

Queues In Data Structures

Circular queue in C

Circular queue using Array

Circular Queue using Linked Lists

Priority Queue Introduction

C++ Program based on above algorithm :

Run 
#include <stdio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>

#define N 100			// size for arrays representing stack1 and stack2

int stack1[N], stack2[N];	// array representing stacks of size N

int top_stack1 = -1;		// top for stack1
int top_stack2 = -1;		// top for stack2

int count = 0;			// For keeping the count of element present in queue

void push_stack1 (int data)
{
  if (top_stack1 == N - 1)
    {
      printf ("Stack1 is overflow");
      return;
    }

  else
    {
      top_stack1++;
      stack1[top_stack1] = data;
    }

  return;
}

void push_stack2 (int data)
{
  if (top_stack2 == N - 1)
    {
      printf ("Stack2 is overflow");
      return;
    }

  else
    {
      top_stack2++;
      stack2[top_stack2] = data;
    }

  return;

}

int pop_stack1 ()
{
  if (top_stack1 == -1)
    {
      printf ("Stack1 is underflow\n");
      return -1;
    }

  return stack1[top_stack1--];
}

int pop_stack2 ()
{

  if (top_stack2 == -1)
    {
      printf ("Stack2 is underflow\n");
      return -1;
    }

  return stack2[top_stack2--];

}

void enqueue (int data)
{
  push_stack1 (data);
  count++;

}

void dequeue ()
{
  if (top_stack1 == -1 && top_stack2 == -1)
    printf ("Queue is empty\n");

  else
    {
      for (int i = 0; i < count; i++)
	{

	  int temp = pop_stack1 ();
	  push_stack2 (temp);
	}

      int x = pop_stack2 ();

      printf ("Dequeued element is %d\n", x);
      count--;

      for (int i = 0; i < count; i++)
	{

	  int temp = pop_stack2 ();
	  push_stack1 (temp);

	}
    }
}

void display ()
{
  if (top_stack1 == -1)
    {
      printf ("Queue is empty \n");
      return;
    }

  for (int i = 0; i < top_stack1; i++)
    printf ("%d ", stack1[i]);

  printf ("\n");

}

void top ()
{
  printf ("Top element of queue is %d ", stack1[0]);
}

int main ()
{

  enqueue (3);
  enqueue (45);
  enqueue (-1);

  display ();

  dequeue ();

  display ();

  return 0;

}

Output

Elements in queue : 3 45 -1

Deleted element : 3

Elements in queue : 45 -1