A Fast, Growable Array with Stable Pointers in C
18 days ago
- #data-structures
- #memory-management
- #C-programming
- Introduction to segment arrays as a data structure alternative to dynamic arrays with stable pointers and arena allocator compatibility.
- Segment arrays store items in multiple contiguous segments, each double the length of its predecessor, ensuring pointers remain valid and memory isn't fragmented.
- Implementation details include a fixed-size array for segment pointers, optimized segment sizes, and efficient index calculation using bit shifts.
- The segment array can be implemented in C with type safety using macros and supports operations like allocation and iteration.
- Comparison with other data structures (fixed-size arrays, dynamic arrays, chunked linked lists) highlights segment arrays' advantages in specific scenarios.
- Segment arrays are particularly useful for scenarios with unknown item counts over time and arena allocator usage.