Table of Contents
Webinar overview:
Std::maps is a staple in the C++ world for sure. It’s reliable and useful, but in this presentation, David Millington goes a level deeper and examines how other features offered beyond the standard library can be used to maximize the usefulness of the data structure.
Quick Refresher on Maps
Maps are essentially a way to store key-value pairs in an ordered structure. This creates an associative array that can be used to lookup connected pieces of data. Maps are ubiquitous. Value-key lookup is used everywhere: filenames to files, index number to row/column, ID number to name, and the list goes on.
Maps can be ordered or unordered. They are also similar to static arrays and vectors but they possess a few key differences such as memory management, performance, and appropriate types—watch this section of the webinar to learn more.
Things to Remember from the Webinar
- Where to use std::map and std::undordered_maps
- Difference between maps, static arrays, and vectors
- The many map implementation libraries available
- The importance of iterating in order
- Comparing performance of ordered and unordered maps
