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.

Related Terms

A bug that occurs when the behavior of software depends on the timing or order of uncontrolled events like thread scheduling.

Composition over Inheritance

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

A function that captures and retains access to variables from its enclosing scope, even after that scope has finished executing.

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

The smallest unit of execution within a process, allowing concurrent operations to run within a single program.

The implied cost of additional rework caused by choosing a quick solution now instead of a better approach that would take longer.

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