Data Structures in Swift

12 essential data structures for Swift developers. Each one explained with Big O complexity, animated visuals, and real code samples you can copy.

Array

[T] (fixed)

Fixed-size, contiguous block of memory. Elements are stored sequentially and accessed by index in constant time. The foundation of most other data structures.

7
3
9
1
5
[0]
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]

arr[0] = 7

Complexity

Access by indexO(1)
SearchO(n)
Insert / DeleteO(n)

When to use

  • +You know the exact size at creation time
  • +You need the fastest possible index-based access
  • +Working with fixed-length data like matrices or buffers
Swift
// Fixed-size array via tuple or unsafe buffer
let fixed: [Int] = [10, 20, 30, 40, 50]

var copy = fixed
copy[0] = 99                  // O(1) - direct index access
let val = copy[2]             // O(1) - read by index

// Iterate
for item in copy {
    print(item, terminator: " ")
}

// Search and sort
let sorted = copy.sorted()             // O(n log n)
let idx = copy.firstIndex(of: 30)      // O(n)

Dynamic Array

[T] (Array)

Resizable array that automatically grows when capacity is exceeded. The most commonly used data structure in most languages. Doubles its internal storage when full, giving amortized O(1) appends.

7
3
9
1
5
[0]
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]

arr[0] = 7

Complexity

Access by indexO(1)
SearchO(n)
AppendO(1)*
Insert / Remove (middle)O(n)

When to use

  • +You need a resizable collection (most common case)
  • +You frequently access elements by index
  • +You mostly add or remove at the end
Swift
var names = ["Alice", "Bob", "Charlie"]

names.append("Diana")                // O(1) amortized
names.insert("Eve", at: 1)           // O(n) - shifts elements
names.removeLast()                    // O(1)
names.remove(at: 0)                   // O(n) - shifts elements

let has = names.contains("Bob")       // O(n)
let idx = names.firstIndex(of: "Bob") // O(n)

names.sort()                          // O(n log n) - in-place
let squares = (0..<10).map { $0 * $0 }  // O(n) - functional transform

Stack

Array (as stack)

Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) collection. Only the top element is accessible. Used for tracking state that must be unwound in reverse order.

arrow_downward top
10

Push 10

Complexity

PushO(1)
PopO(1)
PeekO(1)
SearchO(n)

When to use

  • +Undo/redo functionality
  • +Expression parsing and evaluation
  • +DFS traversal of trees and graphs
  • +Matching brackets, parentheses validation
Swift
// Swift has no built-in Stack - use Array
var stack: [Int] = []

stack.append(10)          // O(1) - push
stack.append(20)
stack.append(30)

let top = stack.last!     // O(1) - peek -> 30
let val = stack.removeLast()  // O(1) - pop -> 30

// Interview pattern: valid parentheses
func isValid(_ s: String) -> Bool {
    var st: [Character] = []
    let pairs: [Character: Character] = ["(": ")", "[": "]", "{": "}"]
    for c in s {
        if let close = pairs[c] { st.append(close) }
        else if st.isEmpty || st.removeLast() != c { return false }
    }
    return st.isEmpty
}

Queue

Array / Deque

First-In-First-Out (FIFO) collection. Elements are added at the back and removed from the front. Fundamental for breadth-first processing.

front
10
back

Enqueue 10

Complexity

EnqueueO(1)
DequeueO(1)
PeekO(1)
SearchO(n)

When to use

  • +BFS traversal of trees and graphs
  • +Task scheduling and job queues
  • +Message passing between components
  • +Rate limiting, buffering
Swift
// Simple queue using Array (or use Deque from Swift Collections)
var queue: [String] = []

queue.append("Task A")        // O(1) - enqueue
queue.append("Task B")
queue.append("Task C")

let first = queue.first!      // O(1) - peek
let val = queue.removeFirst()  // O(n) - dequeue (use Deque for O(1))

// Interview pattern: BFS
func bfs(_ root: TreeNode?) {
    guard let root else { return }
    var q = [root]
    while !q.isEmpty {
        let node = q.removeFirst()
        print(node.val, terminator: " ")
        if let l = node.left  { q.append(l) }
        if let r = node.right { q.append(r) }
    }
}

Hash Map

Dictionary<K,V>

Maps keys to values using a hash function for near-constant-time lookups. The single most important data structure for coding interviews. Every language has a built-in implementation.

0
age:30
1
2
name:Al
3
city:NY

hash("age") = 0

Complexity

InsertO(1)*
LookupO(1)
DeleteO(1)
Contains keyO(1)

When to use

  • +Two Sum and frequency counting patterns
  • +Caching computed results (memoization)
  • +Grouping data by a key
  • +Any problem requiring O(1) lookup by key
Swift
var prices: [String: Int] = ["apple": 3, "banana": 5]

prices["cherry"] = 2                // O(1) - add
prices["apple"] = 10                // O(1) - update
let has = prices.keys.contains("banana")  // O(1)
prices.removeValue(forKey: "cherry")      // O(1)

let count = prices["mango", default: 0]  // O(1) - safe lookup

// Interview pattern: Two Sum
func twoSum(_ nums: [Int], _ target: Int) -> [Int] {
    var seen: [Int: Int] = [:]
    for (i, num) in nums.enumerated() {
        if let j = seen[target - num] { return [j, i] }  // O(1)
        seen[num] = i                                      // O(1)
    }
    return []
}

Hash Set

Set<T>

Unordered collection of unique elements. Uses hashing internally for O(1) membership testing. Supports mathematical set operations like union, intersection, and difference.

0
age:30
1
2
name:Al
3
city:NY

hash("age") = 0

Complexity

AddO(1)*
ContainsO(1)
RemoveO(1)
Union / IntersectO(n)

When to use

  • +Checking if an element exists in O(1)
  • +Removing duplicates from a collection
  • +Set operations: union, intersection, difference
  • +Visited tracking in graph traversal
Swift
var s: Set<Int> = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

s.insert(6)               // O(1)
s.remove(1)               // O(1)
let has = s.contains(4)   // O(1) -> true

// Set operations
let other: Set<Int> = [4, 5, 6, 7]
let inter = s.intersection(other)     // {4, 5, 6}
let union = s.union(other)            // {2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}
let diff  = s.subtracting(other)      // {2, 3}

// Interview pattern: contains duplicate
func containsDuplicate(_ nums: [Int]) -> Bool {
    return Set(nums).count != nums.count
}

Linked List

manual impl

Sequence of nodes where each node points to the next (singly linked) or both next and previous (doubly linked). Efficient insertion and deletion at any known position, but no index-based access.

5
12
8
20

traversing: 5

Complexity

Insert at head/tailO(1)
Remove (given node)O(1)
SearchO(n)
Access by indexO(n)

When to use

  • +Frequent insertion/deletion in the middle
  • +Implementing LRU cache (with a hash map)
  • +When you need a deque (double-ended queue)
  • +Problems involving pointer manipulation
Swift
// Swift has no built-in linked list - manual implementation
class ListNode<T> {
    var val: T
    var next: ListNode?
    init(_ val: T, _ next: ListNode? = nil) {
        self.val = val; self.next = next
    }
}

let head = ListNode(1, ListNode(2, ListNode(3)))

// Interview pattern: reverse a linked list
func reverse(_ head: ListNode<Int>?) -> ListNode<Int>? {
    var prev: ListNode<Int>? = nil
    var curr = head
    while let node = curr {
        let next = node.next    // save
        node.next = prev        // reverse link
        prev = node; curr = next
    }
    return prev  // O(n) time, O(1) space
}

Sorted Set (BST)

sorted Array wrapper

Collection of unique elements maintained in sorted order, typically backed by a balanced binary search tree (red-black tree). Supports range queries and O(log n) min/max.

831215

search(8)

Complexity

AddO(log n)
ContainsO(log n)
RemoveO(log n)
Min / MaxO(log n)

When to use

  • +Maintaining a sorted collection of unique items
  • +Range queries (all elements between X and Y)
  • +Sliding window problems needing sorted order
  • +Leaderboards, ranking systems
Swift
// No built-in SortedSet - use a sorted Array wrapper
struct SortedSet<T: Comparable> {
    private var items: [T] = []

    mutating func insert(_ val: T) {         // O(log n) search + O(n) shift
        let idx = insertionIndex(for: val)
        if idx < items.count, items[idx] == val { return }
        items.insert(val, at: idx)
    }

    func contains(_ val: T) -> Bool {        // O(log n) - binary search
        let idx = insertionIndex(for: val)
        return idx < items.count && items[idx] == val
    }

    private func insertionIndex(for val: T) -> Int {
        items.firstIndex { $0 >= val } ?? items.count
    }

    var min: T? { items.first }              // O(1)
    var max: T? { items.last }               // O(1)
}

Sorted Map (BST)

sorted keys pattern

Key-value pairs maintained in sorted key order, typically backed by a balanced BST. Enables ordered iteration and range lookups that hash maps cannot provide.

831215

search(8)

Complexity

InsertO(log n)
LookupO(log n)
RemoveO(log n)
Iterate (sorted)O(n)

When to use

  • +You need sorted key-value pairs
  • +Ordered iteration over entries
  • +Range lookups by key
  • +When insertion order or sorted order matters
Swift
// No built-in SortedDictionary - use sorted keys pattern
var sd: [String: Int] = ["banana": 2, "apple": 5, "cherry": 1]

sd["date"] = 3                               // O(1) insert
let val = sd["apple"]                        // O(1) -> 5
sd.removeValue(forKey: "cherry")             // O(1)

// Iterate in sorted key order - O(n log n) for sort
for key in sd.keys.sorted() {
    print("\(key): \(sd[key]!)")
}
// apple: 5, banana: 2, date: 3

let firstKey = sd.keys.sorted().first        // "apple"
let lastKey  = sd.keys.sorted().last         // "date"

Priority Queue (Heap)

Heap (Swift Collections)

Collection where elements are dequeued by priority rather than insertion order. Typically implemented as a binary heap. Essential for shortest-path algorithms and top-K problems.

13579

min-heap

Complexity

InsertO(log n)
Extract min/maxO(log n)
PeekO(1)
SearchO(n)

When to use

  • +Dijkstra's shortest path algorithm
  • +Merge K sorted lists/streams
  • +Top-K / Kth largest element problems
  • +Event-driven simulation, scheduling
Swift
// Swift Collections provides Heap; or manual implementation
struct MinHeap<T: Comparable> {
    var items: [T] = []

    var peek: T? { items.first }              // O(1)
    mutating func insert(_ val: T) {          // O(log n)
        items.append(val); siftUp(items.count - 1)
    }
    mutating func extractMin() -> T? {        // O(log n)
        guard !items.isEmpty else { return nil }
        items.swapAt(0, items.count - 1)
        let min = items.removeLast(); siftDown(0)
        return min
    }
    private mutating func siftUp(_ i: Int) {
        var i = i
        while i > 0, items[i] < items[(i - 1) / 2] {
            items.swapAt(i, (i - 1) / 2); i = (i - 1) / 2
        }
    }
    private mutating func siftDown(_ i: Int) { /* heapify down */ }
}

Concurrent Hash Map

actor-based cache

Thread-safe hash map designed for concurrent read/write access from multiple threads. Uses fine-grained locking or lock-free techniques instead of a single global lock.

0
age:30
1
2
name:Al
3
city:NY

hash("age") = 0

Complexity

InsertO(1)*
LookupO(1)
DeleteO(1)
Atomic updateO(1)*

When to use

  • +Multi-threaded caching
  • +Shared state across threads or async tasks
  • +Producer-consumer patterns with keyed data
  • +When you need concurrent reads and writes
Swift
// Actor-based thread-safe dictionary (Swift 5.9+)
actor ConcurrentCache<K: Hashable, V> {
    private var store: [K: V] = [:]

    func get(_ key: K) -> V? {
        store[key]                              // O(1) - isolated access
    }

    func set(_ key: K, _ value: V) {
        store[key] = value                      // O(1) - isolated access
    }

    func getOrSet(_ key: K, factory: () -> V) -> V {
        if let existing = store[key] { return existing }
        let val = factory()
        store[key] = val
        return val
    }
}

let cache = ConcurrentCache<String, Int>()
await cache.set("counter", 0)
let val = await cache.get("counter")           // O(1)

Memory View / Slice

UnsafeBufferPointer / ArraySlice

Zero-copy view over a contiguous region of memory. Lets you reference a portion of an array or buffer without allocating new memory. Critical for performance-sensitive parsing and processing.

1
2
3
4
5
6

Span[0..3] = [1, 2, 3]

Complexity

Create sliceO(1)
Access by indexO(1)
SearchO(n)
CopyO(n)

When to use

  • +Parsing strings or binary data without copies
  • +Processing sub-arrays without allocation
  • +High-performance, zero-allocation code paths
  • +Interop with native or unmanaged memory
Swift
// ArraySlice - zero-copy view over an Array
let data = [10, 20, 30, 40, 50]
let slice = data[1..<4]           // O(1) - ArraySlice -> [20, 30, 40]
// slice shares storage with data (copy-on-write)

// UnsafeBufferPointer - raw memory view
data.withUnsafeBufferPointer { buffer in
    let first = buffer[0]         // O(1) - direct memory access
    let count = buffer.count      // 5
    for val in buffer { print(val, terminator: " ") }
}

// UnsafeMutableBufferPointer for mutation
var mutable = [1, 2, 3]
mutable.withUnsafeMutableBufferPointer { buf in
    buf[0] = 99                   // O(1) - direct write
}

Big O Comparison

Average-case time complexity. * = amortized.

StructureAccessSearchInsertDelete
ArrayO(1)O(n)O(n)O(n)
Dynamic ArrayO(1)O(n)O(1)*O(n)
StackO(n)O(n)O(1)*O(1)
QueueO(n)O(n)O(1)*O(1)
Hash MapO(1)O(1)O(1)*O(1)
Hash SetN/AO(1)O(1)*O(1)
Linked ListO(n)O(n)O(1)O(1)
Sorted SetO(n)O(log n)O(log n)O(log n)
Sorted MapO(log n)O(log n)O(log n)O(log n)
Priority QueueO(n)O(n)O(log n)O(log n)
Concurrent MapO(1)O(1)O(1)*O(1)
Memory ViewO(1)O(n)N/AN/A

Which collection should I use?

I need to...Use
Store items by index, resize dynamicallyList / Dynamic Array
Map keys to values with O(1) lookupHashMap / Dictionary
Track unique items, check existence in O(1)HashSet / Set
Last-in-first-out (undo, DFS, brackets)Stack
First-in-first-out (BFS, task queues)Queue
Keep elements sorted at all timesSortedSet / TreeSet
Process items by priority (Dijkstra, top-K)PriorityQueue / Heap
Insert/delete at a known position in O(1)LinkedList
Sorted key-value pairsSortedDictionary / TreeMap
Thread-safe shared cacheConcurrentDictionary
Slice arrays/strings without copyingSpan / Slice / memoryview

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most important data structures in Swift?add

The most commonly used are dynamic arrays (List/ArrayList/vector), hash maps (Dictionary/HashMap/dict), and hash sets. For interviews, also know stacks, queues, trees, and priority queues. These cover 90%+ of coding interview problems.

Which Swift data structure should I learn first?add

Start with the dynamic array and hash map. Together they solve the majority of interview problems. Then learn stacks (for DFS, bracket matching) and queues (for BFS). After that, tackle trees, heaps, and graphs.

Does Big O complexity change between languages?add

No. Big O measures algorithmic complexity, not language-specific performance. A hash map lookup is O(1) whether you use Python dict, Java HashMap, or C# Dictionary. Constant factors differ (C++ is faster than Python in wall-clock time), but Big O is the same.

Is there a built-in priority queue in Swift?add

It depends on the language runtime. Check the Swift standard library documentation for heap or priority queue support.

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