Programming Elixir 1.2

We cover:

• The two and a half dictionary data types
• Pattern matching and updating maps
• Structs
• Nested data structures

Chapter 8Maps, Keyword Lists, Sets, and Structs

A dictionary is a data type that associates keys with values.

We’ve already looked briefly at the dictionary types: maps and keyword lists. In this short chapter we’ll cover how to use them with pattern matching and how to update them. Finally we’ll look at the Keyword module, which implements a specialized dictionary intended for storing function and program options, and the MapSet module, which implements sets.

First, though, let’s answer a common question—how do we choose an appropriate dictionary type for a particular need?