libgraph

C++ class templates for graph construction and search

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Project maintained by rxdu Hosted on GitHub Pages — Theme by mattgraham

libgraph Tutorial Series

A progressive learning path from basic graphs to advanced features.

Learning Path

Beginner Level

1. Basic Graph Operations - Your first graph and fundamental operations
2. Simple Pathfinding - Using Dijkstra and A* for shortest paths
3. Working with Different State Types - Custom states and indexing

Intermediate Level

1. Custom Cost Types - Multi-criteria optimization and lexicographic costs
2. Thread-Safe Searches - Concurrent pathfinding with SearchContext
3. Performance Optimization - Pre-allocation, batch operations, and profiling

Advanced Level

1. Grid-Based Pathfinding - 2D/3D grids for games and robotics
2. Real-World Applications - GPS navigation, game AI, network analysis
3. Extending the Library - Custom algorithms and advanced patterns

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Tutorial Goals

Each tutorial builds on previous concepts while introducing new features:

• Hands-on examples you can run immediately
• Progressive complexity from basic to advanced use cases
• Real-world applications showing practical usage patterns
• Best practices for performance and maintainability
• Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

Prerequisites

• Basic C++ knowledge (classes, templates, STL containers)
• CMake basics for building examples
• Familiarity with graph concepts (vertices, edges, paths)

Quick Setup

Before starting the tutorials, set up your environment:

# Clone and build the library
git clone https://github.com/rxdu/libgraph.git
cd libgraph
mkdir build && cd build
cmake -DBUILD_TESTING=ON ..
cmake --build .

# Run the first example to verify setup
./bin/simple_graph_demo

Tutorial Format

Each tutorial follows a consistent structure:

1. Learning Objectives - What you’ll accomplish
2. Complete Example - Working code you can run
3. Step-by-Step Explanation - How each part works
4. Key Concepts - Important principles to remember
5. Exercises - Practice problems to reinforce learning
6. Next Steps - Preview of upcoming tutorials

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Additional Resources

• Getting Started Guide - Quick introduction and installation
• Complete API Reference - Detailed class and method documentation
• Architecture Overview - System design and patterns
• Performance Testing - Benchmarking and optimization

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Ready to start? Begin with Tutorial 1: Basic Graph Operations