viitabVõtmeväärtuspaare

Key-value pairs, often represented as "viitabVõtmeväärtuspaare" in some contexts, are a fundamental data structure in computer science. They consist of two associated pieces of information: a unique key and a corresponding value. The key acts as an identifier, allowing for efficient retrieval of its associated value. Think of a dictionary where each word (the key) maps to its definition (the value). The primary advantage of key-value pairs lies in their speed of lookup. Given a key, the system can quickly locate and return the associated value, typically in constant or near-constant time. This makes them highly suitable for applications where rapid data access is crucial. Common implementations of key-value stores include hash tables, associative arrays, and dictionaries in various programming languages. These structures are widely used in databases, caching systems, configuration files, and many other areas where data needs to be organized and accessed by a specific identifier. The simplicity and efficiency of the key-value model have made it a cornerstone of modern data management.