Subj : Re: using/storing hashtables?
To   : netscape.public.mozilla.jseng
From : Benjamin Smedberg <bsmedberg@covad.net>
Date : Thu Aug 07 2003 09:59 pm

Ari wrote:
> Hi, I am just getting started on my first Mozilla extension and will
> need a big hashtable to store a bunch of information.  I also will
> need to save this table over multiple sessions.

I think you need to divide your task into several different parts; I 
don't know your precise needs, but something like this:

1) at runtime, I need a high-performance data structure to store 
key/data pairs, with 20,000 elements

2) I need to be able to save and restore this information

You don't give some important details that would be very helpful for 
answering your question, such as: what kind of data is in your hashtable 
(numeric, string, structured, or complex object data).  Do you have any 
particular persistence format in mind?

JavaScript is a great language, and it may suit your purposes, but a 
dataset of this size may be better implemented in C++.  In terms of 
persistence, you can use the mozilla file streams to read and write data 
to disk.

I am certain that all of the "pieces" are there in the mozilla codebase 
for you to use; if you are more specific about your requirements I am 
sure people can help you decide whether JS alone can suit your needs, or 
whether you need a C++ solution.

--BDS

.