Java - Delete all nodes of the Linked List

Deleting all nodes of a linked list requires traverse through the list and deleting each node one by one. It requires creating a temp node pointing to the head then move the head to head next. After that delete the temp node. Repeat the process till the head becomes null.

The function deleteAllNodes is created for this purpose. It is a 2-step process.

void deleteAllNodes() {
  
  //1. create a temp node
  Node temp = new Node();
  
  //2. if the head is not null make temp as head and 
  //   move head to head next, then delete the temp,
  //   continue the process till head becomes null
  while(this.head != null) {
    temp = this.head;
    this.head = this.head.next;
    temp = null;
  }

  System.out.println("All nodes are deleted successfully.");
}

The below is a complete program that uses above discussed concept of deleting all nodes of a linked list which makes the list empty with size zero.

//node structure
class Node {
    int data;
    Node next;
};

class LinkedList {
  Node head;

  LinkedList(){
    head = null;
  }

  //Add new element at the end of the list
  void push_back(int newElement) {
    Node newNode = new Node();
    newNode.data = newElement;
    newNode.next = null; 
    if(head == null) {
      head = newNode;
    } else {
      Node temp = new Node();
      temp = head;
      while(temp.next != null)
        temp = temp.next;
      temp.next = newNode;
    }    
  }

  //delete all nodes of the list
  void deleteAllNodes() {
    Node temp = new Node();
    while(this.head != null) {
      temp = this.head;
      this.head = this.head.next;
      temp = null;
    }
    System.out.println("All nodes are deleted successfully.");
  }    

  //display the content of the list
  void PrintList() {
    Node temp = new Node();
    temp = this.head;
    if(temp != null) {
      System.out.print("The list contains: ");
      while(temp != null) {
        System.out.print(temp.data + " ");
        temp = temp.next;
      }
      System.out.println();
    } else {
      System.out.println("The list is empty.");
    }
  }    
};

// test the code
public class Implementation {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    LinkedList MyList = new LinkedList();

    //Add four elements in the list.
    MyList.push_back(10);
    MyList.push_back(20);
    MyList.push_back(30);
    MyList.push_back(40);

    //Display the content of the list.
    MyList.PrintList();

    //delete all nodes of the list
    MyList.deleteAllNodes();

    //Display the content of the list.
    MyList.PrintList();
  }
}

The above code will give the following output:

The list contains: 10 20 30 40 
All nodes are deleted successfully.
The list is empty.