Data Collections: Arrays, Lists, Dictionaries/Maps, and Sets of Data Structures in 22 Languages

Data Collections: Arrays, Lists, Dictionaries (Maps), and Sets of Data Structures in 22 Languages is a hands-on guide to how core data structures work across popular and niche programming languages. If you’ve ever wondered how arrays in Rust differ from lists in Python or how dictionaries behave in Elixir versus JavaScript, this book gives you a structured, practical walkthrough.
You’ll explore arrays, lists, key-value maps, and sets across 22 languages including Java, Swift, Go, Kotlin, Haskell, MATLAB, Julia, Dart, R, and more. Each concept is broken down with clarity and context so you not only see the syntax but understand how memory, mutability, performance, and idioms shape the design choices in each language.
Organized into 30 short, readable modules, the book covers operations like insertion and lookup, static vs dynamic sizing, nested and multidimensional collections, plus common pitfalls and best practices. Whether you're building something fast in C++ or doing functional data transformation in Scala, this book helps you speak the language of collections clearly.
Great for developers, CS learners, or anyone working across languages, it’s a guide you’ll refer to again and again.