Summary

In this module, we reviewed each of the data structures we have explored in this class. Most importantly, we looked at how they compare in terms of performance and discussed some of the best and most efficient ways to use them in our programs.

Using that information, we introduced the standard collection libraries for both Java and Python, and saw how those professional implementations closely follow the same ideas and analysis that we saw in our own structures. While the professional structures may have many more features and more complex code, at the core they still work just like the structures we learned how to build from scratch.

One of the best traits of a good programmer is knowing how to most effectively use the tools made available to us through the programming languages and libraries we have chosen to use. The goal of this class is to give us the background we need to understand how the various collection data structures we can choose from work, so that we can use them in the most effective way to build useful and efficient programs.