diff --git a/content/posts/2024-07-06-gap-buffer/index.md b/content/posts/2024-07-06-gap-buffer/index.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..763628d --- /dev/null +++ b/content/posts/2024-07-06-gap-buffer/index.md @@ -0,0 +1,191 @@ +--- +title: "Gap Buffer" +date: 2024-07-06T21:27:19+01:00 +draft: false # I don't care for draft mode, git has branches for that +description: "As featured in GNU Emacs" +tags: +- algorithms +- data structures +- python +categories: +- programming +series: +- Cool algorithms +favorite: false +disable_feed: false +--- + +The [_Gap Buffer_][wiki] is a popular data structure for text editors to +represent files and editable buffers. The most famous of them probably being +[GNU Emacs][emacs]. + +[wiki]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gap_buffer +[emacs]: https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/manual/html_node/elisp/Buffer-Gap.html + + + +## What does it do? + +A _Gap Buffer_ is simply a list of characters, similar to a normal string, with +the added twist of splitting it into two side: the prefix and suffix, on either +side of the cursor. In between them, a gap is left to allow for quick +insertion at the cursor. + +Moving the cursor moves the gap around the buffer, the prefix and suffix getting +shorter/longer as required. + +## Implementation + +I'll be writing a sample implementation in Python, as with the rest of the +[series]({{< ref "/series/cool-algorithms/">}}). I don't think it showcases the +elegance of the _Gap Buffer_ in action like a C implementation full of +`memmove`s would, but it does makes it short and sweet. + +### Representation + +We'll be representing the gap buffer as an actual list of characters. + +Given that Python doesn't _have_ characters, let's settle for a list of strings, +each representing a single character... + +```python +Char = str + +class GapBuffer: + # List of characters, contains prefix and suffix of string with gap in the middle + _buf: list[Char] + # The gap is contained between [start, end) (i.e: buf[start:end]) + _gap_start: int + _gap_end: int + + # Visual representation of the gap buffer: + # This is a very [ ]long string. + # |<----------------------------------------------->| capacity + # |<------------>| |<-------->| string + # |<------------------->| gap + # |<------------>| prefix + # |<-------->| suffix + def __init__(self, initial_capacity: int = 16) -> None: + assert initial_capacity > 0 + # Initialize an empty gap buffer + self._buf = [""] * initial_capacity + self._gap_start = 0 + self._gap_end = initial_capacity +``` + +### Accessors + +I'm mostly adding these for exposition, and making it easier to write `assert`s +later. + +```python +@property +def capacity(self) -> int: + return len(self._buf) + +@property +def gap_length(self) -> int: + return self._gap_end - self._gap_start + +@property +def string_length(self) -> int: + return self.capacity - self.gap_length + +@property +def prefix_length(self) -> int: + return self._gap_start + +@property +def suffix_length(self) -> int: + return self.capacity - self._gap_end +``` + +### Growing the buffer + +I've written this method in a somewhat non-idiomatic manner, to make it closer +to how it would look in C using `realloc` instead. + +It would be more efficient to use slicing to insert the needed extra capacity +directly, instead of making a new buffer and copying characters over. + +```python +def grow(self, capacity: int) -> None: + assert capacity >= self.capacity + # Create a new buffer with the new capacity + new_buf = [""] * capacity + # Move the prefix/suffix to their place in the new buffer + added_capacity = capacity - len(self._buf) + new_buf[: self._gap_start] = self._buf[: self._gap_start] + new_buf[self._gap_end + added_capacity :] = self._buf[self._gap_end :] + # Use the new buffer, account for added capacity + self._buf = new_buf + self._gap_end += added_capacity +``` + +### Insertion + +Inserting text at the cursor's position means filling up the gap in the middle +of the buffer. To do so we must first make sure that the gap is big enough, or +grow the buffer accordingly. + +Then inserting the text is simply a matter of copying its characters in place, +and moving the start of the gap further right. + +```python +def insert(self, val: str) -> None: + # Ensure we have enouh space to insert the whole string + if len(val) > self.gap_length: + self.grow(max(self.capacity * 2, self.string_length + len(val))) + # Fill the gap with the given string + self._buf[self._gap_start : self._gap_start + len(val)] = val + self._gap_start += len(val) +``` + +### Deletion + +Removing text from the buffer simply expands the gap in the corresponding +direction, shortening the string's prefix/suffix. This makes it very cheap. + +The methods are named after the `backspace` and `delete` keys on the keyboard. + +```python +def backspace(self, dist: int = 1) -> None: + assert dist <= self.prefix_length + # Extend gap to the left + self._gap_start -= dist + +def delete(self, dist: int = 1) -> None: + assert dist <= self.suffix_length + # Extend gap to the right + self._gap_end += dist +``` + +### Moving the cursor + +Moving the cursor along the buffer will shift letters from one side of the gap +to the other, moving them accross from prefix to suffix and back. + +I find Python's list slicing not quite as elegant to read as a `memmove`, though +it does make for a very small and efficient implementation. + +```python +def left(self, dist: int = 1) -> None: + assert dist <= self.prefix_length + # Shift the needed number of characters from end of prefix to start of suffix + self._buf[self._gap_end - dist : self._gap_end] = self._buf[ + self._gap_start - dist : self._gap_start + ] + # Adjust indices accordingly + self._gap_start -= dist + self._gap_end -= dist + +def right(self, dist: int = 1) -> None: + assert dist <= self.suffix_length + # Shift the needed number of characters from start of suffix to end of prefix + self._buf[self._gap_start : self._gap_start + dist] = self._buf[ + self._gap_end : self._gap_end + dist + ] + # Adjust indices accordingly + self._gap_start += dist + self._gap_end += dist +``` diff --git a/content/posts/2024-07-14-bloom-filter/index.md b/content/posts/2024-07-14-bloom-filter/index.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..93107d4 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/posts/2024-07-14-bloom-filter/index.md @@ -0,0 +1,97 @@ +--- +title: "Bloom Filter" +date: 2024-07-14T17:46:40+01:00 +draft: false # I don't care for draft mode, git has branches for that +description: "Probably cool" +tags: + - algorithms + - data structures + - python +categories: + - programming +series: +- Cool algorithms +favorite: false +disable_feed: false +--- + +The [_Bloom Filter_][wiki] is a probabilistic data structure for set membership. + +The filter can be used as an inexpensive first step when querying the actual +data is quite costly (e.g: as a first check for expensive cache lookups or large +data seeks). + +[wiki]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloom_filter + + + +## What does it do? + +A _Bloom Filter_ can be understood as a hash-set which can either tell you: + +* An element is _not_ part of the set. +* An element _may be_ part of the set. + +More specifically, one can tweak the parameters of the filter to make it so that +the _false positive_ rate of membership is quite low. + +I won't be going into those calculations here, but they are quite trivial to +compute, or one can just look up appropriate values for their use case. + +## Implementation + +I'll be using Python, which has the nifty ability of representing bitsets +through its built-in big integers quite easily. + +We'll be assuming a `BIT_COUNT` of 64 here, but the implementation can easily be +tweaked to use a different number, or even change it at construction time. + +### Representation + +A `BloomFilter` is just a set of bits and a list of hash functions. + +```python +BIT_COUNT = 64 + +class BloomFilter[T]: + _bits: int + _hash_functions: list[Callable[[T], int]] + + def __init__(self, hash_functions: list[Callable[[T], int]]) -> None: + # Filter is initially empty + self._bits = 0 + self._hash_functions = hash_functions +``` + +### Inserting a key + +To add an element to the filter, we take the output from each hash function and +use that to set a bit in the filter. This combination of bit will identify the +element, which we can use for lookup later. + +```python +def insert(self, val: T) -> None: + # Iterate over each hash + for f in self._hash_functions: + n = f(val) % BIT_COUNT + # Set the corresponding bit + self._bit |= 1 << n +``` + +### Querying a key + +Because the _Bloom Filter_ does not actually store its elements, but some +derived data from hashing them, it can only definitely say if an element _does +not_ belong to it. Otherwise, it _may_ be part of the set, and should be checked +against the actual underlying store. + +```python +def may_contain(self, val: T) -> bool: + for f in self._hash_functions: + n = f(val) % BIT_COUNT + # If one of the bits is unset, the value is definitely not present + if not (self._bit & (1 << n)): + return False + # All bits were matched, `val` is likely to be part of the set + return True +```