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18 <h2><a name="overview" id="overview">Overview</a></h2>
20 <p>The tree-based container has the following declaration:</p>
24 <b>typename</b> Mapped,
25 <b>typename</b> Cmp_Fn = std::less<Key>,
26 <b>typename</b> Tag = <a href="rb_tree_tag.html">rb_tree_tag</a>,
28 <b>typename</b> Const_Node_Iterator,
29 <b>typename</b> Node_Iterator,
30 <b>typename</b> Cmp_Fn_,
31 <b>typename</b> Allocator_>
32 <b>class</b> Node_Update = <a href=
33 "null_tree_node_update.html">null_tree_node_update</a>,
34 <b>typename</b> Allocator = std::allocator<<b>char</b>> >
39 <p>The parameters have the following meaning:</p>
42 <li><tt>Key</tt> is the key type.</li>
44 <li><tt>Mapped</tt> is the mapped-policy.</li>
46 <li><tt>Cmp_Fn</tt> is a key comparison functor</li>
48 <li><tt>Tag</tt> specifies which underlying data structure
51 <li><tt>Node_Update</tt> is a policy for updating node
52 invariants. This is described in <a href="#invariants">Node
55 <li><tt>Allocator</tt> is an allocator
59 <p>The <tt>Tag</tt> parameter specifies which underlying
60 data structure to use. Instantiating it by <a href=
61 "rb_tree_tag.html"><tt>rb_tree_tag</tt></a>, <a href=
62 "splay_tree_tag.html"><tt>splay_tree_tag</tt></a>, or
63 <a href="ov_tree_tag.html"><tt>ov_tree_tag</tt></a>,
64 specifies an underlying red-black tree, splay tree, or
65 ordered-vector tree, respectively; any other tag is illegal.
66 Note that containers based on the former two contain more types
67 and methods than the latter (<i>e.g.</i>,
68 <tt>reverse_iterator</tt> and <tt>rbegin</tt>), and different
69 exception and invalidation guarantees.</p>
71 <h2><a name="invariants" id="invariants">Node
74 <p>Consider the two trees in Figures <a href=
75 "#node_invariants">Some node invariants</a> A and B. The first
76 is a tree of floats; the second is a tree of pairs, each
77 signifying a geometric line interval. Each element in a tree is refered to as a node of the tree. Of course, each of
78 these trees can support the usual queries: the first can easily
79 search for <tt>0.4</tt>; the second can easily search for
80 <tt>std::make_pair(10, 41)</tt>.</p>
82 <p>Each of these trees can efficiently support other queries.
83 The first can efficiently determine that the 2rd key in the
84 tree is <tt>0.3</tt>; the second can efficiently determine
85 whether any of its intervals overlaps
86 <tt>std::make_pair(29,42)</tt> (useful in geometric
87 applications or distributed file systems with leases, for
88 example). (See <a href=
89 "../../../../testsuite/ext/pb_ds/example/tree_order_statistics.cc"><tt>tree_order_statistics.cc</tt></a>
91 "../../../../testsuite/ext/pb_ds/example/tree_intervals.cc"><tt>tree_intervals.cc</tt></a>
92 for examples.) It should be noted that an <tt>std::set</tt> can
93 only solve these types of problems with linear complexity.</p>
95 <p>In order to do so, each tree stores some <i>metadata</i> in
96 each node, and maintains node invariants <a href=
97 "references.html#clrs2001">clrs2001</a>]. The first stores in
98 each node the size of the sub-tree rooted at the node; the
99 second stores at each node the maximal endpoint of the
100 intervals at the sub-tree rooted at the node.</p>
102 <h6 class="c1"><a name="node_invariants" id=
103 "node_invariants"><img src="node_invariants.png" alt=
104 "no image" /></a></h6>
106 <h6 class="c1">Some node invariants.</h6>
108 <p>Supporting such trees is difficult for a number of
112 <li>There must be a way to specify what a node's metadata
113 should be (if any).</li>
115 <li>Various operations can invalidate node invariants.
116 <i>E.g.</i>, Figure <a href=
117 "#node_invariant_invalidations">Invalidation of node
118 invariants</a> shows how a right rotation, performed on A,
119 results in B, with nodes <i>x</i> and <i>y</i> having
120 corrupted invariants (the grayed nodes in C); Figure <a href=
121 "#node_invariant_invalidations">Invalidation of node
122 invariants</a> shows how an insert, performed on D, results
123 in E, with nodes <i>x</i> and <i>y</i> having corrupted
124 invariants (the grayed nodes in F). It is not feasible to
125 know outside the tree the effect of an operation on the nodes
128 <li>The search paths of standard associative containers are
129 defined by comparisons between keys, and not through
132 <li>It is not feasible to know in advance which methods trees
133 can support. Besides the usual <tt>find</tt> method, the
134 first tree can support a <tt>find_by_order</tt> method, while
135 the second can support an <tt>overlaps</tt> method.</li>
138 <h6 class="c1"><a name="node_invariant_invalidations" id=
139 "node_invariant_invalidations"><img src=
140 "node_invariant_invalidations.png" alt="no image" /></a></h6>
142 <h6 class="c1">Invalidation of node invariants.</h6>
144 <p>These problems are solved by a combination of two means:
145 node iterators, and template-template node updater
148 <h3><a name="node_it" id="node_it">Node Iterators</a></h3>
150 <p>Each tree-based container defines two additional iterator
152 "tree_const_node_iterator.html"><tt>const_node_iterator</tt></a>
154 "tree_node_iterator.html"><tt>node_iterator</tt></a>.
155 These iterators allow descending from a node to one of its
156 children. Node iterator allow search paths different than those
157 determined by the comparison functor. <a href=
159 supports the methods:</p>
161 <a href="tree_const_node_iterator.html"><tt>const_node_iterator</tt></a>
162 node_begin() <b>const</b>;
164 <a href="tree_node_iterator.html"><tt>node_iterator</tt></a>
167 <a href="tree_const_node_iterator.html"><tt>const_node_iterator</tt></a>
168 node_end() <b>const</b>;
170 <a href="tree_node_iterator.html"><tt>node_iterator</tt></a>
174 <p>The first pairs return node iterators corresponding to the
175 root node of the tree; the latter pair returns node iterators
176 corresponding to a just-after-leaf node.</p>
178 <h3><a name="node_up" id="node_up">Node Updater
179 (Template-Template) Parameters</a></h3>
181 <p>The tree-based containers are parametrized by a
182 <tt>Node_Update</tt> template-template parameter. A tree-based
183 container instantiates <tt>Node_Update</tt> to some
184 <tt>node_update</tt> class, and publicly
185 subclasses <tt>node_update</tt>. Figure
186 <a href="#tree_node_update_cd">A tree and its update
187 policy</a> shows this scheme, as well as some predefined
188 policies (which are explained below).</p>
190 <h6 class="c1"><a name="tree_node_update_cd" id=
191 "tree_node_update_cd"><img src=
192 "tree_node_update_policy_cd.png" alt="no image" /></a></h6>
194 <h6 class="c1">A tree and its update policy.</h6>
196 <p><tt>node_update</tt> (an instantiation of
197 <tt>Node_Update</tt>) must define <tt>metadata_type</tt> as
198 the type of metadata it requires. For order statistics,
199 <i>e.g.</i>, <tt>metadata_type</tt> might be <tt>size_t</tt>.
200 The tree defines within each node a <tt>metadata_type</tt>
203 <p><tt>node_update</tt> must also define the following method
204 for restoring node invariants:</p>
208 "tree_node_iterator.html"><tt>node_iterator</tt></a> nd_it, <a href=
209 "tree_const_node_iterator.html"><tt>const_node_iterator</tt></a> end_nd_it)
212 <p>In this method, <tt>nd_it</tt> is a <a href=
213 "tree_node_iterator.html"><tt>node_iterator</tt></a>
214 corresponding to a node whose A) all descendants have valid
215 invariants, and B) its own invariants might be violated;
216 <tt>end_nd_it</tt> is a <a href=
217 "tree_const_node_iterator.html"><tt>const_node_iterator</tt></a>
218 corresponding to a just-after-leaf node. This method should
219 correct the node invariants of the node pointed to by
220 <tt>nd_it</tt>. For example, say node <i>x</i> in Figure
221 <a href="#restoring_node_invariants">Restoring node
222 invariants</a>-A has an invalid invariant, but its' children,
223 <i>y</i> and <i>z</i> have valid invariants. After the
224 invocation, all three nodes should have valid invariants, as in
225 Figure <a href="#restoring_node_invariants">Restoring node
226 invariants</a>-B.</p>
228 <h6 class="c1"><a name="restoring_node_invariants" id=
229 "restoring_node_invariants"><img src=
230 "restoring_node_invariants.png" alt="no image" /></a></h6>
232 <h6 class="c1">Invalidation of node invariants.</h6>
234 <p>When a tree operation might invalidate some node invariant,
235 it invokes this method in its <tt>node_update</tt> base to
236 restore the invariant. For example, Figure <a href=
237 "#update_seq_diagram">Insert update sequence diagram</a> shows
238 an <tt>insert</tt> operation (point A); the tree performs some
239 operations, and calls the update functor three times (points B,
240 C, and D). (It is well known that any <tt>insert</tt>,
241 <tt>erase</tt>, <tt>split</tt> or <tt>join</tt>, can restore
242 all node invariants by a small number of node invariant updates
243 [<a href="references.html#clrs2001">clrs2001</a>].)</p>
245 <h6 class="c1"><a name="update_seq_diagram" id=
246 "update_seq_diagram"><img src="update_seq_diagram.png" alt=
247 "no image" /></a></h6>
249 <h6 class="c1">Insert update sequence diagram.</h6>
251 <p>To complete the description of the scheme, three questions
252 need to be answered:</p>
255 <li>How can a tree which supports order statistics define a
256 method such as <tt>find_by_order</tt>?</li>
258 <li>How can the node updater base access methods of the
261 <li>How can the following cyclic dependency be resolved?
262 <tt>node_update</tt> is a base class of the tree, yet it
263 uses node iterators defined in the tree (its child).</li>
266 <p>The first two questions are answered by the fact that
267 <tt>node_update</tt> (an instantiation of
268 <tt>Node_Update</tt>) is a <tt><b>public</b></tt> base class
269 of the tree. Consequently:</p>
272 <li>Any public methods of <tt>node_update</tt> are
273 automatically methods of the tree [<a href=
274 "references.html#alexandrescu01modern">alexandrescu01modern</a>].
275 Thus an order-statistics node updater, <a href=
276 "tree_order_statistics_node_update.html"><tt>tree_order_statistics_node_update</tt></a>
277 defines the <tt>find_by_order</tt> method; any tree
278 instantiated by this policy consequently supports this method
281 <li>In C++, if a base class declares a method as
282 <tt><b>virtual</b></tt>, it is <tt><b>virtual</b></tt> in its
283 subclasses. If <tt>node_update</tt> needs to access one of
284 the tree's methods, say the member function <tt>end</tt>, it simply
285 declares that method as <tt><b>virtual</b></tt>
289 <p>The cyclic dependency is solved through template-template
290 parameters. <tt>Node_Update</tt> is parametrized by the tree's node iterators, its comparison
291 functor, and its allocator type. Thus,
292 instantiations of <tt>Node_Update</tt> have all information required.</p>
294 <p class="c1"><tt>pb_ds</tt> assumes that constructing a metadata object and modifying it
295 are exception free. Suppose that during some method, say
296 <tt>insert</tt>, a metadata-related operation
297 (<i>e.g.</i>, changing the value of a metadata) throws an
298 exception. Ack! Rolling back the method is unusually complex.</p>
301 "concepts.html#concepts_null_policies">Interface::Concepts::Null
302 Policy Classes</a> a distinction was made between <i>redundant
303 policies</i> and <i>null policies</i>. Node invariants show a
304 case where null policies are required.</p>
306 <p>Assume a regular tree is required, one which need not
307 support order statistics or interval overlap queries.
308 Seemingly, in this case a redundant policy - a policy which
309 doesn't affect nodes' contents would suffice. This, would lead
310 to the following drawbacks:</p>
313 <li>Each node would carry a useless metadata object, wasting
316 <li>The tree cannot know if its <tt>Node_Update</tt> policy
317 actually modifies a node's metadata (this is halting
318 reducible). In Figure <a href=
319 "#rationale_null_node_update">Useless update path</a> ,
320 assume the shaded node is inserted. The tree would have to
321 traverse the useless path shown to the root, applying
322 redundant updates all the way.</li>
325 <h6 class="c1"><a name="rationale_null_node_update" id=
326 "rationale_null_node_update"><img src=
327 "rationale_null_node_update.png" alt="no image" /></a></h6>
329 <h6 class="c1">Useless update path.</h6>
331 <p>A null policy class, <a href=
332 "null_tree_node_update.html"><tt>null_tree_node_update</tt></a>
333 solves both these problems. The tree detects that node
334 invariants are irrelevant, and defines all accordingly.</p>
336 <h2><a name="add_methods" id="add_methods">Additional
339 <p>Tree-based containers support split and join methods.
340 It is possible to split a tree so that it passes
341 all nodes with keys larger than a given key to a different
342 tree. These methods have the following advantages over the
343 alternative of externally inserting to the destination
344 tree and erasing from the source tree:</p>
347 <li>These methods are efficient - red-black trees are split
348 and joined in poly-logarithmic complexity; ordered-vector
349 trees are split and joined at linear complexity. The
350 alternatives have super-linear complexity.</li>
352 <li>Aside from orders of growth, these operations perform
353 few allocations and de-allocations. For red-black trees, allocations are not performed,
354 and the methods are exception-free. </li>