itsy-bitsy-data-structures

Itsy Bitsy Data Structures is a single JavaScript file that walks through simplified implementations of common data structures. The purpose is educational: you read through the file, which is written in plain, easy-to-follow JavaScript, and by the end you understand what each data structure is, when you would use it, and how to talk about it with other programmers.

The project is aimed at people who have some programming experience but have not studied computer science formally, or who find data structures intimidating because of how they are usually taught. Rather than going deep into theory or performance analysis, it focuses on giving you a mental model and a shared vocabulary. The author describes it as a high-level pass over the key things you need to know before going deeper.

The companion repository to this one is The Super Tiny Compiler, another guided code walkthrough by the same author, which takes a similar approach to explaining compilers.

There is no package to install, no build step, and no dependencies. The entire project is that one JavaScript file with guided comments. You read it in your editor or on GitHub. The README is intentionally brief and points you directly to the file.

The README notes that additional inline annotations were planned at the time of writing to make the material clearer for readers who find the initial pass confusing. The project is licensed under Creative Commons BY 4.0, which allows sharing and adaptation as long as you give credit to the original author.