Using Binary Search with Custom Data Structures
Can I use binary search with a custom data structure, and if so, how?
Yes, you can use binary search with custom data structures in C++. The key is to ensure your custom data structure supports random access iterators and is sorted according to the criteria you want to search by.
Custom Data Structure
Assume you have a custom Player struct, and you want to perform binary search based on the player's name:
#include <algorithm>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <vector>
struct Player {
std::string Name;
int Score;
};
bool comparePlayers(
const Player& a, const Player& b) {
return a.Name < b.Name;
}
int main() {
std::vector<Player> Players{
{"Aragorn", 100},
{"Legolas", 95},
{"Gimli", 80},
{"Frodo", 90}
};
// Sort the vector of Players
std::sort(
Players.begin(),
Players.end(),
comparePlayers
);
// Player to search for
Player target{"Legolas", 0};
// Perform binary search
bool found = std::binary_search(
Players.begin(),
Players.end(),
target,
comparePlayers
);
std::cout << "The player Legolas "
<< (found ? "was" : "was not") << " found";
}The player Legolas was foundExplanation
- Custom Comparator: Define a comparator function
comparePlayersto specify how to comparePlayerobjects based on their names. - Sorting: Use
std::sort()with the custom comparator to sort the vector of players. - Binary Search: Use
std::binary_search()with the same comparator to search for the target player.
Binary Search with Custom Comparison
When dealing with complex comparisons or multiple criteria, ensure your comparator function aligns with the sorting order. If you need to find the exact object or its position, use std::lower_bound() or std::upper_bound():
#include <algorithm>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <vector>
struct Player {
std::string Name;
int Score;
};
bool comparePlayers(
const Player& a, const Player& b) {
return a.Name < b.Name;
}
int main() {
std::vector<Player> Players{
{"Aragorn", 100}, {"Legolas", 95},
{"Gimli", 80}, {"Frodo", 90}
};
std::sort(
Players.begin(),
Players.end(),
comparePlayers);
Player target{"Legolas", 0};
auto it = std::lower_bound(
Players.begin(),
Players.end(),
target,
comparePlayers
);
if (it != Players.end() &&
it->Name == target.Name) {
std::cout << "Object found: " << it->Name;
} else {
std::cout << "Object not found";
}
}Object found: LegolasBy ensuring your data structure supports random access and using a custom comparator, you can effectively use binary search with custom data types.
Binary Search in C++
An introduction to the advantages of binary search, and how to use it with the C++ standard library algorithms binary_search(), lower_bound(), upper_bound(), and equal_range()