SortedList vs. SortedDictionary: When Should I Use Which?

Comparing SortedList and SortedDictionary: Key Performance Differences

When working with sorted data in .NET, developers often grapple with the choice between SortedList and SortedDictionary. While they share similar object models and O(log n) retrieval time, these classes exhibit distinct performance characteristics under different conditions.

Memory Utilization:

SortedList consumes less memory than SortedDictionary. This difference stems from the underlying data structures: SortedList maintains a sorted array, while SortedDictionary employs a binary search tree.

Insertion and Removal Speed:

For unsorted data, SortedDictionary outperforms SortedList in insertion and removal operations. SortedDictionary achieves O(log n) time complexity for these operations, while SortedList requires O(n) complexity.

Populating with Sorted Data:

When populating a sorted data structure with pre-sorted data, SortedList gains an advantage over SortedDictionary. Populating SortedList from sorted data takes less time, as it can initialize the sorted array directly.

Implementation Details:

It's important to note that SortedList differs from its name in its implementation. It uses a sorted array instead of a linked list, which enables faster retrievals through binary search but slower insertions and deletions. SortedDictionary, on the other hand, employs a binary search tree, optimizing for these latter operations.

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