Programming Concepts Beginner

What is Data Structure?

A way of organizing and storing data in a computer so it can be accessed and modified efficiently.

Data structures define how data is stored and accessed. Arrays provide indexed access. Linked lists allow efficient insertions. Hash tables enable O(1) lookups. Trees organize hierarchical data. Graphs model complex relationships.

Choosing the right data structure dramatically affects performance. Stacks (LIFO) and queues (FIFO) manage ordered operations. Heaps efficiently find min/max values. Tries optimize string searching.

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A data structure that follows Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) ordering, where elements are added and removed from the same end (top).

The ability of a program to manage multiple tasks that can make progress during overlapping time periods.

A linear data structure where elements are stored in nodes, each containing data and a pointer to the next node in the sequence.

Composition over Inheritance

A design principle favoring object composition (has-a relationships) over class inheritance (is-a relationships) for code reuse.

Functional Programming

A programming paradigm that treats computation as the evaluation of mathematical functions, avoiding state changes and mutable data.

Regex (Regular Expression)

A sequence of characters that defines a search pattern, used for string matching, validation, and text manipulation.

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