# Overview<a name="EN-US_TOPIC_0311018441"></a>

## Basic Concepts<a name="en-us_topic_0175230449_section3529299142920"></a>

A doubly linked list is a linked data structure that consists of a set of sequentially linked records called nodes. Each node in a doubly linked list contains two pointers that reference to the previous and to the next node in the sequence of nodes. The head of the doubly linked list is deterministic and immediately accessible.

Any node of a doubly linked list, once obtained, can be used to initiate a new traversal of the list in either direction \(towards the beginning or end\) from the given node. This allows a lot of data to be quickly traversed. Because of the symmetric nature of a doubly linked list, nodes can easily be inserted into or removed from the list.

