Complex Data Structure

Data structures enable efficient storage, organization and management of data.

For example, the use of arrays, lists, and trees allows programmers to manage data more efficiently than simply sequential storage.

In the C language, structures allow you to implement a wide variety of data structures. An example of the implementation of the most famous data structures using structures is discussed below.

Arrays: Used when you need to store a fixed number of elements and have quick access to them.

Linked Lists: Useful for cases where the number of elements changes dynamically.

Hash tables: Used to look up data by key.

The hash function is needed to convert the key into an index of the array in which the data is stored.

For example, the key is your client's name and the required value is their debt.

You already have an array with all the names and debts.

A hash function using an ASCII table converts your client's name into some digital equivalent and as a result you get an index under which all information about the client is stored.

In this example, the hash function converts a key string into an array index using the sum of the ASCII character values and modulo division of the table size.

Trees: Useful for building hierarchies and performing quick searches, additions, and deletions.

A binary tree is a type of tree in which each node has at most two child nodes. These child nodes are usually called left and right children.

When a node has its own child nodes, it acts as a parent node to those nodes. At the same time, this node itself can be a child node of its immediate parent node.

Stack: Used to model networks and relationships.

A stack is a data structure in which elements are added (push) and removed (pop) according to the LIFO principle - (Last In, First Out).

MAX_SIZE - the maximum number of elements a stack can contain.