Hashing Questions Medium
The purpose of a hash code in Swift is to provide a unique numerical value that represents the contents of an object. It is primarily used for efficient storage and retrieval of objects in data structures such as dictionaries and sets. The hash code is generated using a hashing algorithm, which converts the object's properties or contents into a fixed-size integer value. This hash code is then used as an index to quickly locate the object in a hash table or other data structure, reducing the time complexity of operations like searching and inserting. Additionally, hash codes are also used for equality comparisons between objects, allowing for efficient comparison of objects without having to compare all their properties individually.