Queue summary

Congratulations! You have completed the queue data structure by implementing the following methods:

• enqueue() - Adds to the back of the queue
• dequeue() - Removes from the front of the queue
• peek() - Gives you the value at the front of the queue without removing it
• isEmpty() - Determines whether the queue is empty or not
• size() - Tells how many elements are in the queue

Takeaways

• A queue works like a line. New elements are added to the back of the queue, and elements are pulled from the front of the queue.

• A queue is a FIFO (first-in-first-out) data structure. This is a fancy term for first-come first-serve, meaning that the first element to get dequeued from the queue is the element at the front of the queue.

• Queues are easy to implement using a JavaScript Array.

Message Queues

Queues are often used to create "buffers" that temporarily store data from one part of a program until another part of a program can process the data. This is common with asynchronous data transfer, or mismatches between how often data is sent and how often it can be processed.

Think of a scenario where restaurant diners order food faster than the chefs can cook it.

Describe how you would use a queue help the chef keep track of meals to make. What should the chef do when the queue is empty?