Hash Cons Library

The Hash Cons Library (hash_cons) is a Rust library that implements efficient hash consing techniques, making it a robust choice for both single-threaded and multi-threaded Rust applications. At its core, the library is designed to focus on type-safety, efficiency, and zero-cost abstractions.

Hash Cons

Hash consing is an advanced technique used in optimizing memory usage and enhancing performance in data-intensive applications. It involves sharing of immutable data structures, reducing redundant memory allocation by ensuring that identical data is stored only once. This method is particularly beneficial in scenarios where repeated data structures, like trees or graphs, are prevalent. By employing hash consing, the library guarantees efficient memory management and rapid data access, leading to a significant boost in application performance. This technique is not only crucial for achieving optimal memory efficiency but also plays a vital role in ensuring the scalability and speed of your applications.

Efficiency and Idiomatic Rust

This library is designed to be inherently idiomatic to Rust, ensuring efficient memory management and optimal performance. It utilizes Rust's unique ownership and borrowing rules to manage immutable data structures. The key feature is its tunable memory management: when a value is no longer referred to anywhere in your program, the library automatically deallocates it due to enabled auto_cleanup feature by default, preventing memory leaks and optimizing resource usage. This makes it an excellent tool for applications where duplicate data structures are common, ensuring memory efficiency.

Features

• auto_cleanup: Enabled by default, this feature allows the library to automatically clean up and manage memory efficiently by removing unused entries.
• thread_safe: Disabled by default, enabling this feature allows the library to be used in multi-threaded environments safely.

Usage

To integrate hash_cons into your project, add it as a dependency in your Cargo.toml:

[dependencies]
hash_cons = "0.1.4"  # Replace with the actual version

By default, the library operates in a single-threaded environment with auto_cleanup enabled. For multi-threaded support, enable the thread-safe feature:

# Default single-threaded with auto_cleanup enabled
hash_cons = "0.1.4"

# For single-threaded environments with auto_cleanup disabled
hash_cons = { version = "0.1.4", default-features = false }

# For multi-threaded environments with auto_cleanup enabled
hash_cons = { version = "0.1.4", features = ["thread-safe"] }

# For multi-threaded environments with auto_cleanup disabled
hash_cons = { version = "0.1.4", default-features = false, features = ["thread-safe"] }

Examples

Single-Threaded Usage

[dependencies]
hash_cons = "0.1.4" # Replace with the actual version

use hash_cons::{HcTable, Hc};

#[derive(Hash, PartialEq, Eq)]
enum BoolExpr {
    Const(bool),
    And(Hc<BoolExpr>, Hc<BoolExpr>),
    Or(Hc<BoolExpr>, Hc<BoolExpr>),
    Not(Hc<BoolExpr>),
}

fn main() {
    let table: HcTable<BoolExpr> = HcTable::new();
    let const_true = BoolExpr::Const(true);
    let hc_true: Hc<BoolExpr> = table.hashcons(const_true);
    drop(hc_true);// hc_true is automatically removed from the table when dropped from the memory
}

Thread-Safe Usage

[dependencies]
hash_cons = { version = "0.1.4", features = ["thread-safe"] }

use hash_cons::{HcTable, Hc};
use std::thread;

#[derive(Hash, PartialEq, Eq)]
enum BoolExpr {
    Const(bool),
    And(Hc<BoolExpr>, Hc<BoolExpr>),
    Or(Hc<BoolExpr>, Hc<BoolExpr>),
    Not(Hc<BoolExpr>),
}

fn main() {
    let table: HcTable<BoolExpr> = HcTable::new();
    let thread_handle_hc_false = thread::spawn(move || {
        table.hashcons(BoolExpr::Const(false))
    });
    let hc_false: Hc<BoolExpr> = thread_handle_hc_false.join().unwrap(); // Safe for concurrent use across threads
}

Auto Cleanup Disabled for single-threaded environments

[dependencies]
hash_cons = { version = "0.1.4", default-features = false }

use hash_cons::{HcTable, Hc};

#[derive(Hash, PartialEq, Eq)]
enum BoolExpr {
    Const(bool),
    And(Hc<BoolExpr>, Hc<BoolExpr>),
    Or(Hc<BoolExpr>, Hc<BoolExpr>),
    Not(Hc<BoolExpr>),
}

fn main() {
    let table: HcTable<BoolExpr> = HcTable::new();
    let const_true = BoolExpr::Const(true);
    let hc_true: Hc<BoolExpr> = table.hashcons(const_true);
    drop(hc_true);
    assert_eq!(table.len(), 1);
    table.cleanup();//hc_true is removed from the table after it has been dropped and `cleanup()` is called on the table.
    assert_eq!(table.len(), 0);
}

Auto Cleanup Disabled for thread-safe environments

hash_cons = { version = "0.1.4", default-features = false, features = ["thread-safe"] }

use hash_cons::{HcTable, Hc};

#[derive(Hash, PartialEq, Eq)]
enum BoolExpr {
    Const(bool),
    And(Hc<BoolExpr>, Hc<BoolExpr>),
    Or(Hc<BoolExpr>, Hc<BoolExpr>),
    Not(Hc<BoolExpr>),
}

fn main() {
    let table: HcTable<BoolExpr> = HcTable::new();
    let table_clone = table.clone();
    let thread_handle_hc_true = thread::spawn(move || {
         table_clone.hashcons(BoolExpr::Const(true))
    });
    let hc_true: Hc<BoolExpr> = thread_handle_hc_true.join().unwrap(); // Safe for concurrent use across threads
    assert_eq!(table.len(), 1);
    drop(hc_true);
    table.cleanup(); //hc_true is removed from the table after it has been dropped and `cleanup()` is called on the table.
    assert_eq!(table.len(), 0);
}

Contributing

We welcome contributions and suggestions to make hash_cons better. If you have ideas or improvements, feel free to submit a pull request or open an issue in the repository.

License

Licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for more details.