description

# HashMap<K, V> constructor

HashMap<K, V>({bool equals(K key1, K key2), int hashCode(K key), bool isValidKey(dynamic potentialKey) })

Creates an unordered hash-table based Map.

The created map is not ordered in any way. When iterating the keys or values, the iteration order is unspecified except that it will stay the same as long as the map isn't changed.

If `equals` is provided, it is used to compare the keys in the table with new keys. If `equals` is omitted, the key's own Object.== is used instead.

Similar, if `hashCode` is provided, it is used to produce a hash value for keys in order to place them in the hash table. If it is omitted, the key's own Object.hashCode is used.

If using methods like operator [], remove and containsKey together with a custom equality and hashcode, an extra `isValidKey` function can be supplied. This function is called before calling `equals` or `hashCode` with an argument that may not be a `K` instance, and if the call returns false, the key is assumed to not be in the set. The `isValidKey` function defaults to just testing if the object is a `K` instance.

Example:

    new HashMap<int,int>(equals: (int a, int b) => (b - a) % 5 == 0,
                         hashCode: (int e) => e % 5)

This example map does not need an `isValidKey` function to be passed. The default function accepts only `int` values, which can safely be passed to both the `equals` and `hashCode` functions.

If neither `equals`, `hashCode`, nor `isValidKey` is provided, the default `isValidKey` instead accepts all keys. The default equality and hashcode operations are assumed to work on all objects.

Likewise, if `equals` is identical, `hashCode` is identityHashCode and `isValidKey` is omitted, the resulting map is identity based, and the `isValidKey` defaults to accepting all keys. Such a map can be created directly using HashMap.identity.

The used `equals` and `hashCode` method should always be consistent, so that if `equals(a, b)` then `hashCode(a) == hashCode(b)`. The hash of an object, or what it compares equal to, should not change while the object is a key in the map. If it does change, the result is unpredictable.

If you supply one of `equals` and `hashCode`, you should generally also to supply the other.

## Implementation

    external factory HashMap(
        {bool equals(K key1, K key2),
        int hashCode(K key),
        bool isValidKey(potentialKey)});