#ifndef string_node_H
#define string_node_H

/*----------------------------------------------------------
   a string_node is a class:
      string_node(string value)  
   ...representing a node in a singly-linked list of string values,
   each with:
       a value (the string value in that node), and
       a pointer to the next string_node in the list.          
                
   template for a function with a string_node parameter 
       a_string_node:         
   ret_type process_string_node(string_node a_string_node)         
   {            
       return  ...a_string_node.get_value()...     
               ...a_string_node.get_next()...                  
   }           
--------------------------------------------------------------*/

#include <string>
using namespace std;

class string_node
{
    public:
        // constructors

        string_node(string a_value);
        string_node();

        // no  destructor is needed, nor the other of the "big 3";
        //     although pointers are involved here,
        //     this class doesn't, itself, do any dynamic allocation
        // (verified by checking Savitch and Main's node class on
        //     p. 248 of "Data Structures and Other Objects Using 
        //     C++", 3rd edition)
    
        // selectors

        string get_value() const;
        string_node* get_next() const;

        // modifiers

        void set_value(string new_value);
        void set_next(string_node* new_next_ptr);

    private:
        string value;
        string_node* next_ptr;
};

#endif