Sortable hash table

1. A method comprising:

providing an associative array comprising a plurality of entries corresponding to a plurality of symbolic properties, each entry in the plurality of entries associating a corresponding symbolic property in the plurality of symbolic properties with a value;

providing a data array comprising a plurality of data array elements, each element in the data array storing a symbolic property from the plurality of symbolic properties and a sortable property value;

storing a mapping table comprising a plurality of mapping table elements, each mapping table element storing an offset value, wherein, for each entry in the associative array associating a symbolic property with a value, the value identifies a mapping table element in the mapping table corresponding to the entry and the offset value stored by the corresponding mapping table element is indicative of a data array element storing the symbolic property; and

for a first symbolic property from the plurality of symbolic properties, accessing a first data array element of the plurality of data array elements storing the first symbolic property using the associative array and the mapping table.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sorting data array elements based upon the sortable property value stored by each data array element.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

determining a modified offset value indicative of a changed position of the first data array element within the data array after the sorting; and

updating an offset value stored by a first mapping table element for the first data array element with the modified offset value.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the updating further comprises:

locating the first mapping table element in the mapping table; and

changing the offset value stored by the first mapping table element to the modified offset.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the locating the first mapping table element includes using the first associative array value.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein accessing the first data array element further includes:

determining a first entry in the associative array using the first symbolic property;

determining a first value associated with the first entry in the associative array;

determining a first mapping table element in the mapping table using the first value; and

accessing the first data array element in the data array using a first offset value stored by the first mapping table element.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

accessing the data array element using a numeric property.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein accessing the first data array element further includes:

determining a first mapping table element in the mapping table using a first numeric property; and

accessing the second data array element in the data array using a first offset value stored by the first mapping table element.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

accessing the sortable property value of each data array element in sorted order using at least one of a numeric property and a symbolic property.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a first entry in the associative array for removal using the first symbolic property;

determining a first value associated with the first entry in the associative array;

determining a first mapping table element in the mapping table using the first value;

accessing the first data array element in the data array using a first offset value stored by the first mapping table element;

removing the first data array element from the data array; and

removing the first mapping table element from the mapping table.

11. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured to:

cause an associative array to be stored in the memory, the associative array comprising a plurality of entries corresponding symbolic properties, each entry in the plurality of entries associating a corresponding symbolic property in the plurality of symbolic properties with a value;

cause a data array to be stored in the memory, the data array comprising a plurality of data array elements, each element in the data array storing a symbolic property from the plurality of symbolic properties and a sortable property value;

cause a mapping table to be stored in the memory, the mapping table comprising a plurality of mapping table elements, each mapping table element storing an offset value, wherein, for each entry in the associative array associating a symbolic property with a value, the value identifies a mapping table element in the mapping table corresponding to the entry and the offset value stored by corresponding mapping table element is indicative of a data array element storing the symbolic property.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the data array elements are sorted based upon the sortable property value stored by each data array element.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program product executed by a processor, the computer program product comprising:

code for providing an associative array comprising a plurality of entries corresponding to a plurality of symbolic properties, each entry in the plurality of entries associating a corresponding symbolic property in the plurality of symbolic properties with a value;

code for providing a data array comprising a plurality of data array elements, each element in the data array storing a symbolic property from the plurality of symbolic properties and a sortable property value; and

code for storing a mapping table comprising a plurality of mapping table elements, each mapping table element storing an offset value, wherein, for each entry in the associative array associating a symbolic property with a value, the value identifies a mapping table element in the mapping table corresponding to the entry and the offset value stored by the corresponding mapping table element is indicative of a data array element storing the symbolic property.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the computer program product further comprising:

code for sorting the data array elements based upon the sortable property value stored by each data array element.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the computer program product further comprising:

code for determining a modified offset value indicative of a changed position of the first data array element within the data array after the sorting; and

code for updating an offset value stored by a first mapping table element for the first data array element with the modified offset value.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the computer program product further comprising:

code for locating the first mapping table element in the mapping table; and

code for changing the offset value stored by the first mapping table element to the modified offset.