Collections

Mux provides three main collection types: lists, maps, and sets, with Python-style literal syntax.

Lists

Ordered, mutable collections of elements of the same type.

Creating Lists

creating_lists.mux

List Methods

Method	Returns	Description
`.size()`	`int`	Number of elements in the list
`.is_empty()`	`bool`	Returns `true` if list has no elements
`.get(int index)`	`optional<T>`	Safe access; returns `some(value)` or `none` if out of bounds
`[int index]`	`T`	Direct access; runtime error if out of bounds
`.push(T item)`	`void`	Appends item to the front
`.push_back(T item)`	`void`	Appends item to the end
`.pop()`	`optional<T>`	Removes and returns first item, or `none` if empty
`.pop_back()`	`optional<T>`	Removes and returns last item, or `none` if empty
`.to_string()`	`string`	String representation of the list

List Operations

list_operations.mux

Iterating Lists

iterating_lists.mux

Maps

Key-value pairs with unique keys.

Creating Maps

creating_maps.mux

Map Methods

Method	Returns	Description
`.size()`	`int`	Number of key-value pairs
`.is_empty()`	`bool`	Returns `true` if map has no entries
`.get(K key)`	`optional<V>`	Safe lookup; returns `some(value)` or `none` if key not found
`[K key]`	`V`	Direct access; runtime error if key not found
`.put(K key, V value)`	`void`	Inserts or updates a key-value pair
`.contains(K key)`	`bool`	Returns `true` if key exists in map
`.remove(K key)`	`optional<V>`	Removes key and returns value, or `none` if key not found
`.to_string()`	`string`	String representation of the map
`.get_keys()`	`list<K>`	List of keys from the map
`.get_values()`	`list<V>`	List of values from the map
`.get_pairs()`	`list<tuple<K, V>>`	List of key-value pairs

Map Operations

map_operations.mux

Sets

Creating Sets

creating_sets.mux

Set Methods

Method	Returns	Description
`.size()`	`int`	Number of elements
`.is_empty()`	`bool`	Returns `true` if set is empty
`.add(T item)`	`void`	Adds an item to the set
`.contains(T item)`	`bool`	Returns `true` if item exists in set
`.remove(T item)`	`optional<T>`	Removes item and returns it, or `none` if not found
`.to_string()`	`string`	String representation of the set
`.to_list()`	`list<T>`	Creates a list from the set

Set Operations

set_operations.mux

The `in` Operator

Test for membership/containment:

in_operator.mux

Type Requirements:

Both operands must have compatible element types
No implicit type conversions allowed

Nested Collections

Collections can be arbitrarily nested:

nested_collections.mux

Collection Type Conversions

No automatic conversions - collections must have exact type match:

collection_conversions.mux

Generic Collections

Collections work seamlessly with generics:

generic_collections.mux

Collection Literals vs Constructors

collection_literals.mux

Best Practices

Use safe access methods - .get() returns optional<T> to avoid runtime errors
Explicit types for empty collections - Prevents ambiguity
Leverage type inference - Use auto when types are obvious from literals
Use the in operator - Cleaner than calling .contains()
Prefer literals over constructors - More readable
Use appropriate collection type:
- List: Ordered, indexed access, duplicates allowed
- Map: Key-value pairs, unique keys
- Set: Unique elements, membership testing
Match on fallible operations - Handle none cases explicitly

Lists​

Creating Lists​

List Methods​

List Operations​

Iterating Lists​

Maps​

Creating Maps​

Map Methods​

Map Operations​

Sets​

Creating Sets​

Set Methods​

Set Operations​

The in Operator​

Nested Collections​

Collection Type Conversions​

Generic Collections​

Collection Literals vs Constructors​

Best Practices​

See Also​