3.5 Data Structures

• The meaning of a data structure (container)
• Lists and arrays, one- and two-dimensional
• Tuples, sets and dictionaries
• The syntax of data structures
• Searching: sequential and binary search
• Sorting: bubble, selection, insertion and quick sort

• describe the types of container used in programming
• use containers in programming
• apply sorting and searching techniques in data structures
• embrace the use of containers in programming

“Why are containers used in programming?”

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1. Containers: lists, tuples, sets and dictionaries
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   What a data structure is, why containers are needed, and the four common ones - list, tuple, set and dictionary - with what each is for.
2. Searching and sorting
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Finding an item with sequential and binary search, and arranging data with bubble, selection, insertion and quick sort - and why the two go together.
3. List indexing and length
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Read items by index, find the last cell with len minus 1, and stop IndexError before it happens.
4. Changing and growing a list
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Append, insert, overwrite, pop and remove - a class register that actually changes during the term.
5. Strings as sequences of characters
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   A string is a container of letters: index it, slice it, loop it - but do not try to overwrite a character.
6. Arrays and one-dimensional lists
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   An array is a fixed-size, same-type row; a Python list can grow and mix types. Declare, initialise, and choose.
7. Two-dimensional lists: tables
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   A list of lists is a grid. Two indices pick row then column; nested loops visit every cell of a marks table.
8. Tuples: ordered and fixed
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   A tuple keeps a short ordered group that must not change: a GPS pair, an RGB colour, or a date.
9. Sets: unique items, no order
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   A set drops duplicates and answers "is this in the collection?" quickly - a class of unique admission numbers.
10. Dictionaries as records
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Look up a value by a name, not a position: a learner record, a kiosk price list, a phone book.
11. Syntax of data structures
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    The brackets are the type: [ ] list, ( ) tuple, { } set, { : } dictionary. Nested syntax and the empty-set trap.
12. Sequential search in code
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Write a linear search that finds a name in a register, reports its index, and honestly says when it is not there.
13. Binary search step by step
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Halve a sorted list of admission numbers until the target is the middle item - faster, but only after sorting.
14. Sorting in practice
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Walk selection and insertion by hand, recall bubble and quick, then let sorted() do the job - and know why the method still matters.