Dictionary Is Mutable Or Immutable

Dictionary Is Mutable Or Immutable

Answer.

In computer science and programming, whether a dictionary (also known as a map or associative array) is mutable or immutable depends on the programming language and the specific implementation of the dictionary data structure.

1. Mutable Dictionaries: In many programming languages, dictionaries are mutable. This means that you can add, remove, or modify key-value pairs within the dictionary after it has been created. Changes made to a mutable dictionary directly affect the original data structure.
2. Immutable Dictionaries: Some programming languages and libraries provide immutable dictionaries. In this case, once a dictionary is created, its contents cannot be changed. If you want to add, remove, or modify items, you create a new dictionary with the desired changes, and the original dictionary remains unchanged.

The mutability or immutability of a dictionary is a design choice made by the creators of the programming language or library. For example, Python’s built-in dictionaries are mutable, while some functional programming languages offer immutable dictionary-like data structures.

It’s essential to check the documentation of the programming language or library you are using to determine whether dictionaries are mutable or immutable in that context.