Thread: What is a Hash Table?

Is it anything like a Queu?

A hash table is a data structure that is used to store large (or small) amounts of data that must be found very quickly. Everythime that something needs to be stored in the hash table it is run through some algorithm that extacts a number based on the data (called its hash). This number is then used to index the data. When someone then needs to find the data stored there, they run the name (or whatever is used to create the hash) through the hash function and use that value to find the data in the hash table. This is a very basic example. What happens if two pieces of data happen to have the same hash number? In this case you need to add in schemes that can handle events like these. you could create a linked hash table (using a linked list at each hash point), you could create another algorithm to decide where to put the data, or you could simply place it at the next free spot.

Thanks for your responses. I had an idea for a password program in wich the password changes based on some function. Perhaps I could use a hash table. Actually I would like to combine the current static password with some dynamic function that would calculate the actual password.

It may take a little thinking and a calculator to get the latest password

Thanks again!