What are the differences between B-trees and B+ trees?

What are the differences between B-trees and B+ trees?

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 B+ trees over B-trees?

B+ trees are often preferred because they provide better performance for range queries and can store more keys in the leaf nodes, which can lead to fewer disk accesses.

Are there any disadvantages to using B+ trees?

One disadvantage of B+ trees is that they can require more memory for pointers since all keys are stored in the leaf nodes, and internal nodes only contain keys for navigation.

Can you give an example of where B+ trees are used?

B+ trees are commonly used in database indexing and file systems, such as in MySQL and Oracle databases, due to their efficient range query capabilities.