From: David Bakhash <ca...@bu.edu>
Subject: hashtable w/o keys stored...
Date: 1999/01/12
Message-ID: <cxjlnj8zh33.fsf@acs1.bu.edu>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 431687398
Organization: Boston University  Boston, MA  USA
Newsgroups: comp.lang.lisp

hey,

I am using hash-tables, and realized that Lisp, by the way hash-tables are
defined, must store the keys of the hash-table.  I am trying to run something
which quickly starts sucking up memory because storing all the keys is
heinus.  I'd rather just have collisions, in which case I have a novel way to
resolve them.  I'm trying to figure out a way out.

The idea is pretty simple and probably generic:

instead of using (setf gethash) to insert, I'll use pushnew + (setf gethash)
and for instead of using gethash I'll use find + gethash.  that way I can make
my own hash-table, but somehow using keys which don't necessary suck up as
much memory for storage as what I'd originally wanted.

does this make sense to anyone?  I'm sure poeple have, at some point in time,
wanted a more relaxed version of hash-tables which don't guarantee "no
collisions", and (maybe) one for which you cannot iterate over the keys.
Anyone have a clue here?

dave