Re: package dependence question

[Jeff Carter <jrcarter@acm.org>]

Carl Banks wrote:
> 
> Okay, when I program, I like to construct large, dynamic tree
> structures.  I like my trees to be traversible in any direction, so if
> you're sitting on a node, you can access its parent or any of its
> branches.
> 
> So let's say that a particular tree has a different type of node at
> each level.  For example, type A is the root of the tree.  Its
> branches are of type B.  B's branches are of type C, and so on.

Then this isn't really a tree; it's a hierarchy. Trees have the same
type everywhere a value is stored. Hierarchies are shaped like trees,
but are used differently.

I often see people using trees when other structures would be better.
There are certainly ways to achieve what you want, but without a better
understanding of what you are trying to use this structure to achieve I
can't tell which, if any, would be appropriate for your needs.

-- 
Jeff Carter
"Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries."
Monty Python & the Holy Grail