This folder contains the use cases for libelektra-core.

libelektra-core primarily implements an ordered, hierarchical associative array data structure, called KeySet, which:

1. uses arbitrary byte sequences, grouped into namespaces, as keys
2. associates each key with
   1. values: an arbitrary byte sequence
   2. metadata: another ordered, hierarchical associative array, which only associates keys with values
3. orders keys first by namespace then lexicographically with respect to hierarchy
4. supports the operations: insert, remove, lookup, hierarchy lookup (a form of prefix lookup) and access by index (which enables iteration)

Additionally, libelektra-core provides a data structure, called Key, that represents a single key-value pair in the associative array, but can also be used standalone.

To support the hierarchical and ordered nature of a KeySet there are two fundamental comparison operations that can be performed on two Keys:

1. Order Comparison: Establishes the linear order of Keys and thereby defines the iteration order of a KeySet.
2. Hierarchy Comparison: Establishes the hierarchy of Keys, by defining based on their names whether one Key is a descendant of another.

The individual use cases provide details on these data structures and the operations it supports.