NamedCollection

NamedCollection is a data structure, often found in programming libraries, that combines the functionality of a list or array with that of a dictionary or map. Its primary characteristic is that it allows elements to be accessed not only by their numerical index but also by a unique name or key associated with each element. This duality provides flexibility in how data is stored and retrieved.

When an item is added to a NamedCollection, it is typically given both a position in the sequence (its index) and a string identifier (its name). This means a programmer can retrieve an element by writing, for example, `myCollection[0]` to get the first item, or `myCollection["username"]` to get the item named "username", assuming such an item exists. The names must be unique within a given NamedCollection.

The underlying implementation of a NamedCollection might vary. Some might internally use a list to maintain order and a dictionary to map names to indices, while others might employ more integrated approaches. The advantage of using a NamedCollection over separate lists and dictionaries lies in the consolidated management of related data, potentially simplifying code and reducing the risk of synchronization errors between the two structures. This makes it a useful tool when dealing with datasets where both order and semantic identification are important.