C data structure suitable for fast search and simple add/remove

Question

As stated in the question header, I need a data structure suitable for fast and efficient searching. The data structure should also be able to add/remove elements to/from anywhere inside the data structure.

Currently I'm using a linked-list. But the problem is that I should walk through the list to find a desired element. General searching algorithms (binary search, jump search and ...) are not directly usable in linked lists, as there is no random access to list elements. Sorting list elements needed in these algorithms is also a problem. On the other hand, I can't use arrays as it's hard to add/remove an element to/from any desired index.

I've looked for searching algorithms in linked lists and I came to 'skip lists'. Now I'm here to ask if there is a better data structure for my case, or if there is a better search algorithm for linked lists.

Answer 1

I would use AVL binary search tree

For an example of binary search tree you can take a look at https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/avl-tree-set-1-insertion/ and https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/avl-tree-set-2-deletion/

It's well detailed, there is C code and schema.

It's efficient to search in, and It allows you to add and delete values. It works for both numeric values and some characters implementations (such as dictionnay).