finding the maximal number in the linked list

[alex lotel]

i have a class:

Class Node
{
  int info;
   Node next;
}

i want to build a method which return a maximal number in the whole list
is it ok to implement it like this??

public  Node MAXI(Node list)
{ 
int temp;
int max=0;
//i dont know what to write in the first part of "for"
//basicly i want it to be for loop that each time takes the next member 
 
for (list.data;list.data!=null;list.next=list.next.next)
   {
   temp=list.data
  if (temp>max)
      {
        max=temp;
      }
   }
return max;
}
 

[Campbell Ritchie]

More of a beginner's question.

Have you been told to use a for loop? I think you are better using a while loop. (Or even a do loop.) Set up a Node local variable, which of course you initialise to the first node in your series, then at the end of the loop you reassign it to the next node. The test is while(myNode != null) or similar.

BTW: Start by initialising your max local variable to Integer.MIN_VALUE. Look through the Integer class API to see whether I have spelt it correctly.

BTW2: Setting up list.next = list.next.next is dangerous; you may actually be reassigning a member of the list rather than iterating along it.

[Campbell Ritchie]

Another error I hadn't noticed earlier.

Your return type is incorrect.

BTW: You oughtn't to use all those capital letters in the method name. You don't actually need the local variable "temp."