A dictionary and a hash table are both data structures that store values. However, there are some key differences between them. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at those differences and how they can impact your coding.
What is Dictionary?
Dictionary key-value pair is a data structure that stores a mapping of keys to values. It is often used to store information such as dictionaries, phone numbers, web pages, and so on. Dictionary key-value pair is also known as a hashmap or associative array. Dictionary key-value pair is an efficient way to store and retrieve data. The keys are usually strings, but can also be integers or other objects. The values can be any type of object, including strings, integers, floats, lists, dictionaries, and so on. Dictionary key-value pair is a critical data structure in many programming languages including Python, Perl, Java, and so on.
What is Hash Table?
- Hash Table is a data structure that helps you to store data in an array format. It works by hashing the key and then using the hash to find the index of where the data should be stored. Hash tables are used for many tasks such as caching, storing databases, and implementing associative arrays. Hash tables are very efficient because they have a constant time complexity for insertion, deletion, and retrieval operations.
- However, Hash tables can become inefficient if the keys are not evenly distributed or if the table size is too small. Hash Table is a data structure that helps you to store data in an array format. It works by hashing the key and then using the hash to find the index of where the data should be stored.
- Hash tables are used for many tasks such as caching, storing databases, and implementing associative arrays. Hash tables are very efficient because they have a constant time complexity for insertion, deletion, and retrieval operations. However, Hash tables can become inefficient if the keys are not evenly distributed or if the table size is too small.
Difference between Dictionary and Hash Table
A Dictionary is an abstract data type that is used to store data in the form of key-value pairs. A Hash Table is also an abstract data type that is used to store data in the form of key-value pairs. However, the way in which these two data types store data is different. In a Dictionary, the keys are stored in sorted order, whereas in a Hash Table, the keys are stored in an unsorted manner.
This means that when you search for a particular key in a Dictionary, the time taken to find that key will be less than the time taken to find the same key in a Hash Table. Furthermore, Dictionary keys can only be strings or integers, whereas Hash Table keys can be any data type. Finally, Dictionary values can be any data type, whereas Hash Table values can only be integers.
Conclusion
The dictionary is a data structure that is used to store a set of unique keys and their corresponding values. A hash table, on the other hand, is a data structure that is used to store a set of key-value pairs. The primary difference between these two data structures lies in how they are implemented. A dictionary is typically implemented as an array, while a hash table is typically implemented as a linked list. In addition, the hashing algorithm used by a hash table can impact its performance.
