Dic2

Dic2 is a term used in computer science to denote a two-level dictionary data structure. It describes a map where each value is itself a map, enabling hierarchical organization of keys and values. The name is not tied to a formal standard and may appear in documentation, libraries, or tutorials as shorthand for a map of maps.

In a dic2, the top-level dictionary maps primary keys to secondary dictionaries, which then map secondary keys to data values. Lookups require two successive key traversals. The structure supports sparse data and grouped namespaces, and insertions create intermediate dictionaries as needed.

Common applications include multilingual dictionaries where the first key selects a language, the second selects a word, and the value contains translations or metadata; configuration stores with sections and options; and caching schemes that organize entries by category and key.

Implementation notes: dic2 is typically built from standard dictionary or map types available in most programming languages. Performance depends on the efficiency of the underlying maps; memory usage grows with the number of primary and secondary entries. Serialization formats include JSON, YAML, or binary formats for compact storage and network transmission.

In literature, dic2 is often used interchangeably with nested dictionaries or maps of maps. It is distinct from flat dictionaries and from more general nested data structures with arbitrary depth.