Introduces the many and powerful data structures for representing information physically (in contrast to a database management system that represents information with logical structures). Covers specialized data structures, and explains how to choose the appropriate algorithm or data structure for the job at hand. The four sections treat primary file organizations, bit level and related structures, tree structures, and file sorting. Opening chapters cover sequential file organization, direct file organization, indexed sequential file organization, bits of information, secondary key retrieval, and bits and hashing. Following chapters cover binary tree structures, B-trees and derivatives, hashing techniques for expandable files, other tree structures, more on secondary key retrieval, sorting, and applying file structures. Contains pseudocode, or an outline in English, for most algorithms. Includes end-of-section questions, with answers to some. Extensively illustrated.
This book is the text book of my cs education of file organization. And i can comfortably say that it gives much insight not just on file organization but also on algorithms. I haven't read all the chapters but among the chapters i read, without any exaggeration i can say that i've learnt every word of what the author wants teach.
A True Gem
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
This book is one of the few gems in computer science. It is written intelligently. One can read it fluently. It is about a reasonably important subject. The book is well crafted (hardcover, layout...). In short reading it makes you happy and smart.The only disadvantage of it: there is no sample code. Desperate people might want to check on Folk, Zeollick, Riccardi "File Structures".
Must have and place near Knuth on the bookshelf
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 26 years ago
It's ~old book (1988), but it still very actual now, and will be actual in future. This book contain only principles and algorithms, but it all showed so deep and clear, so I was very impressed then read it first time. B-tree type structures description is best I ever seen. (Need to have this book if You perform serious low-level work on NTFS, BFS or other File System, based on B-trees.). And even if You not work with such File Systems - this book is classic algorithm book and I put it on my bookshelf near Knuth's volumes.
From a former Tharp student: Excellent!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 27 years ago
I've got a whole bookshelf of algorithms books, and this is by far the best book on file organization in my collection. Tharp was one of the best professors I ever had, and it was a pleasure to work from his excellent (and unfortunately hard to find) book. If I had to own a single book on this topic, well, here it is.
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