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AssocList

Map implemented as a linked-list of key-value pairs ("Associations").

[Usage context]

This map implementation primarily serves as the underlying bucket structure for other map types. In most cases, those higher-level map implementations are easier to use.

[Assumptions]

Runtime and space complexity assumes that combine, equal, and other functions execute in O(1) time and space.

Type AssocList

type AssocList<K, V> = List.List<(K, V)>

Import from the base library to use this module.

import AssocList "mo:base/AssocList";
import List "mo:base/List";
import Nat "mo:base/Nat";

type AssocList<K, V> = AssocList.AssocList<K, V>;

Initialize an empty map using an empty list.

var map : AssocList<Nat, Nat> = List.nil(); // Empty list as an empty map
map := null; // Alternative: null as empty list.
map

Function find

func find<K, V>(map : AssocList<K, V>, key : K, equal : (K, K) -> Bool) : ?V

Find the value associated with key key, or null if no such key exists. Compares keys using the provided function equal.

Example:

// Create map = [(0, 10), (1, 11), (2, 12)]
map := AssocList.replace(map, 0, Nat.equal, ?10).0;
map := AssocList.replace(map, 1, Nat.equal, ?11).0;
map := AssocList.replace(map, 2, Nat.equal, ?12).0;

// Find value associated with key 1
AssocList.find(map, 1, Nat.equal)
RuntimeSpace
O(size)O(1)

Function replace

func replace<K, V>(map : AssocList<K, V>, key : K, equal : (K, K) -> Bool, value : ?V) : (AssocList<K, V>, ?V)

Maps key to value in map, and overwrites the old entry if the key was already present. Returns the old value in an option if it existed and null otherwise, as well as the new map. Compares keys using the provided function equal.

Example:

// Add three entries to the map
// map = [(0, 10), (1, 11), (2, 12)]
map := AssocList.replace(map, 0, Nat.equal, ?10).0;
map := AssocList.replace(map, 1, Nat.equal, ?11).0;
map := AssocList.replace(map, 2, Nat.equal, ?12).0;
// Override second entry
map := AssocList.replace(map, 1, Nat.equal, ?21).0;

List.toArray(map)
RuntimeSpace
O(size)O(size)

Function diff

func diff<K, V, W>(map1 : AssocList<K, V>, map2 : AssocList<K, W>, equal : (K, K) -> Bool) : AssocList<K, V>

Produces a new map containing all entries from map1 whose keys are not contained in map2. The "extra" entries in map2 are ignored. Compares keys using the provided function equal.

Example:

// Create map1 = [(0, 10), (1, 11), (2, 12)]
var map1 : AssocList<Nat, Nat> = null;
map1 := AssocList.replace(map1, 0, Nat.equal, ?10).0;
map1 := AssocList.replace(map1, 1, Nat.equal, ?11).0;
map1 := AssocList.replace(map1, 2, Nat.equal, ?12).0;

// Create map2 = [(2, 12), (3, 13)]
var map2 : AssocList<Nat, Nat> = null;
map2 := AssocList.replace(map2, 2, Nat.equal, ?12).0;
map2 := AssocList.replace(map2, 3, Nat.equal, ?13).0;

// Take the difference
let newMap = AssocList.diff(map1, map2, Nat.equal);
List.toArray(newMap)
RuntimeSpace
O(size1 * size2)O(1)

Function mapAppend

func mapAppend<K, V, W, X>(map1 : AssocList<K, V>, map2 : AssocList<K, W>, f : (?V, ?W) -> X) : AssocList<K, X>
[Deprecated function]

mapAppend is deprecated and may be removed in future versions. Consider using an alternative approach.

Function disjDisjoint

func disjDisjoint<K, V, W, X>(map1 : AssocList<K, V>, map2 : AssocList<K, W>, f : (?V, ?W) -> X) : AssocList<K, X>

Produces a new map by mapping entries in map1 and map2 using f and concatenating the results. Assumes that there are no collisions between keys in map1 and map2.

Example:

import { trap } "mo:base/Debug";

// Create map1 = [(0, 10), (1, 11), (2, 12)]
var map1 : AssocList<Nat, Nat> = null;
map1 := AssocList.replace(map1, 0, Nat.equal, ?10).0;
map1 := AssocList.replace(map1, 1, Nat.equal, ?11).0;
map1 := AssocList.replace(map1, 2, Nat.equal, ?12).0;

// Create map2 = [(4, "14"), (3, "13")]
var map2 : AssocList<Nat, Text> = null;
map2 := AssocList.replace(map2, 4, Nat.equal, ?"14").0;
map2 := AssocList.replace(map2, 3, Nat.equal, ?"13").0;

// Map and append the two AssocLists
let newMap =
AssocList.disjDisjoint<Nat, Nat, Text, Text>(
map1,
map2,
func((v1, v2) : (?Nat, ?Text)) {
switch(v1, v2) {
case(?v1, null) {
debug_show(v1) // convert values from map1 to Text
};
case(null, ?v2) {
v2 // keep values from map2 as Text
};
case _ {
trap "These cases will never happen in mapAppend"
}
}
}
);

List.toArray(newMap)
RuntimeSpace
O(size1 + size2)O(size1 + size2)

Function disj

func disj<K, V, W, X>(map1 : AssocList<K, V>, map2 : AssocList<K, W>, equal : (K, K) -> Bool, combine : (?V, ?W) -> X) : AssocList<K, X>

Creates a new map by merging entries from map1 and map2, and mapping them using combine. combine is also used to combine the values of colliding keys. Keys are compared using the given equal function.

[Behaviour guarantee]

combine will never be applied to (null, null).

Example:

import { trap } "mo:base/Debug";

// Create map1 = [(0, 10), (1, 11), (2, 12)]
var map1 : AssocList<Nat, Nat> = null;
map1 := AssocList.replace(map1, 0, Nat.equal, ?10).0;
map1 := AssocList.replace(map1, 1, Nat.equal, ?11).0;
map1 := AssocList.replace(map1, 2, Nat.equal, ?12).0;

// Create map2 = [(2, 12), (3, 13)]
var map2 : AssocList<Nat, Nat> = null;
map2 := AssocList.replace(map2, 2, Nat.equal, ?12).0;
map2 := AssocList.replace(map2, 3, Nat.equal, ?13).0;

// Merge the two maps using `combine`
let newMap =
AssocList.disj<Nat, Nat, Nat, Nat>(
map1,
map2,
Nat.equal,
func((v1, v2) : (?Nat, ?Nat)) : Nat {
switch(v1, v2) {
case(?v1, ?v2) {
v1 + v2 // combine values of colliding keys by adding them
};
case(?v1, null) {
v1 // when a key doesn't collide, keep the original value
};
case(null, ?v2) {
v2
};
case _ {
trap "This case will never happen in disj"
}
}
}
);

List.toArray(newMap)
RuntimeSpace
O(size1 * size2)O(size1 + size2)

Function join

func join<K, V, W, X>(map1 : AssocList<K, V>, map2 : AssocList<K, W>, equal : (K, K) -> Bool, combine : (V, W) -> X) : AssocList<K, X>

Takes the intersection of map1 and map2, only keeping colliding keys and combining values using the combine function. Keys are compared using the equal function.

Example:

// Create map1 = [(0, 10), (1, 11), (2, 12)]
var map1 : AssocList<Nat, Nat> = null;
map1 := AssocList.replace(map1, 0, Nat.equal, ?10).0;
map1 := AssocList.replace(map1, 1, Nat.equal, ?11).0;
map1 := AssocList.replace(map1, 2, Nat.equal, ?12).0;

// Create map2 = [(2, 12), (3, 13)]
var map2 : AssocList<Nat, Nat> = null;
map2 := AssocList.replace(map2, 2, Nat.equal, ?12).0;
map2 := AssocList.replace(map2, 3, Nat.equal, ?13).0;

// Take the intersection of the two maps, combining values by adding them
let newMap = AssocList.join<Nat, Nat, Nat, Nat>(map1, map2, Nat.equal, Nat.add);

List.toArray(newMap)
RuntimeSpace
O(size1 * size2)O(size1 + size2)

Function fold

func fold<K, V, X>(map : AssocList<K, V>, base : X, combine : (K, V, X) -> X) : X

Collapses the elements in map into a single value by starting with base and progessively combining elements into base with combine. Iteration runs left to right.

Example:

// Create map = [(0, 10), (1, 11), (2, 12)]
var map : AssocList<Nat, Nat> = null;
map := AssocList.replace(map, 0, Nat.equal, ?10).0;
map := AssocList.replace(map, 1, Nat.equal, ?11).0;
map := AssocList.replace(map, 2, Nat.equal, ?12).0;

// (0 * 10) + (1 * 11) + (2 * 12)
AssocList.fold<Nat, Nat, Nat>(map, 0, func(k, v, sumSoFar) = (k * v) + sumSoFar)
RuntimeSpace
O(size)O(size)