Collection (abstract data type)

In <a href="/facts/Computer_programming/QmSsFnu0">computer programming</a>, a collection is an <a href="/facts/Abstract_data_type/BaVGSHNP">abstract data type</a> that is a grouping of items that can be used in a <a href="/facts/Polymorphism_(computer_science)/S3cCKsVT">polymorphic</a> way.
Often, the items are of the same <a href="/facts/Data_type/fcx5hgVL">data type</a> such as <a href="/facts/Integer_(computer_science)/zWabo5M9">int</a> or <a href="/facts/String_(computer_science)/4ChJu5WS">string</a>. Sometimes the items derive from a common type; even deriving from the most general type of a <a href="/facts/Programming_language/cWTYbgWa">programming language</a> such as <a href="/facts/Object_(computer_science)/eX99dtAw">object</a> or <a href="/facts/Variant_type_(COM)/VUo5FpRu">variant</a>.
Although easily confused with implementations in programming languages, collection, as an abstract concept, refers to mathematical concepts which can be misunderstood when the focus is on an implementation. For example, a priority queue is often implemented as a heap, while an associative array is often implemented as a hash table, so these abstract types are often referred to by this preferred implementation, as a "heap" or a "hash", though this is incorrect conceptually.

Collection (abstract data type) open-in-new

Collection (abstract data type)