What is the difference between B-tree and B+ tree?

What is the difference between B-tree and B+ tree?

B-trees and B+ trees are both balanced tree data structures used for indexing. The main difference is that in B-trees, keys can be stored in both internal and leaf nodes, while in B+ trees, all keys are stored in the leaf nodes, and internal nodes only store keys for navigation.

Why would I choose a B+ tree over a B-tree?

B+ trees are often preferred because they provide better performance for range queries and can have a higher fan-out, leading to fewer disk accesses. This is due to the fact that all values are stored at the leaf level, making traversal more efficient.

Can you give an example of when to use each?

Use a B-tree when you need to perform a lot of insertions and deletions, as it handles these operations well. Use a B+ tree when you need to perform many range queries or when you want to optimize for read-heavy workloads.

Are there any downsides to using B+ trees?

One downside of B+ trees is that they can require more memory due to the need to store all values in the leaf nodes. Additionally, the structure can become more complex, which may lead to slightly slower insertions compared to B-trees.