c - Is 'vacated' in open address hash table only capable to store one variable? -

i'm studying master algorithms c , in open address hash table program, author defined: void *vacated; point vacated position in hash table. if delete 2 values in hash table consecutively. true not possible vacated point last deleted variable?

if delete 2 variables of same hash value consecutively. think different deleting 2 variables of different hash value.

in function ohtbl_remove, not find statement null variable deleted. how manages delete variable if delete variables consecutively? thanks.

int ohtbl_remove(ohtbl *htbl, void **data) {  int                position,                i;  /***************************************************************************** *                                                                            * *  use double hashing hash key.                                       * *                                                                            * *****************************************************************************/   (i = 0; < htbl->positions; i++) {     position = (htbl->h1(*data) + (i * htbl->h2(*data))) % htbl->positions;     if (htbl->table[position] == null) {    /***********************************************************************   *                                                                      *   *  return data not found.                                 *   *                                                                      *   ***********************************************************************/    return -1;    }  else if (htbl->table[position] == htbl->vacated) {    /***********************************************************************   *                                                                      *   *  search beyond vacated positions.                                    *   *                                                                      *   ***********************************************************************/    continue;    }  else if (htbl->match(htbl->table[position], *data)) {    /***********************************************************************   *                                                                      *   *  pass data table.                                  *   *                                                                      *   ***********************************************************************/    *data = htbl->table[position];   htbl->table[position] = htbl->vacated;   htbl->size--;   return 0;   }  } 

several elements in list point @ same vacated member — no, not true can have 1 vacated slot in table. can have several consecutive vacated slots. links point next entry; data pointer point vacated know once upon time there element here , should continue searching beyond it.