I think I found a bug in TFPGMap.
Hope some of you can verify it.

The bug seems to relate to the binary search used in the method "FIND" but it does not occur for all string key values or at all capacity of the map. Seems only occur at the second item added and when it is certain string values.

I tried to debug it but cannot step into the codes of fgl unit so cannot find the cause.

Please help.

Dennis

=====================
unit Unit1;
{$mode objfpc}{$H+}
interface
uses
   Classes,  Forms, Controls,StdCtrls, SysUtils,  fgl;
type
   TMapOfObjects=class(specialize TFPGMap < String, TObject> )
   public
     function Locate(TheKey : String) : Boolean;
     function GetContent  :String;
   end;
   TForm1 = class(TForm)
   public
     Map :  TMapOfObjects;
     Memo1 : TMemo;
     ButtonAdd : TButton;
     Edit1 : TEdit;
     N : integer;
     procedure ButtonAddClick(TheSEnder : TObject);
     destructor Destroy;override;
     constructor Create(TheOwner : TComponent);override;
   end;
var
   Form1: TForm1;
implementation
{$R *.lfm}
function TMapOfObjects.Locate(TheKey: String): Boolean;
var i  : integer;
begin
   result := false;
   for i := 0 to count-1 do begin
     if Keys[i] = TheKey then begin
       result := true;
       exit;
     end;
   end;
end;
procedure TForm1.ButtonAddClick(TheSEnder: TObject);
var idx : integer;
   L : TObject;
   s : String;
begin
   inc(n);
   L := TObject.Create;
   Map.Add(Edit1.Text, L);
   if not Map.Find(Edit1.Text, idx) then begin
     Memo1.lines.add('#'+IntToStr(n)+'   '+Edit1.Text+ ' was just added
but cannot be found by method "FIND" ! BUG!');
     if Map.Locate(Edit1.Text) then begin
       Memo1.lines.add('         BUT a simple loop of comparision can
locate it, proving the item was added, just the method "FIND" is  BUGGY!');
       Memo1.lines.add('         List content = '+Map.GetContent);
     end;
   end else begin
     Memo1.lines.add('#'+IntToStr(n)+'   '+Edit1.Text+ ' was added and
found as expected');
     Memo1.lines.add('         List content = '+Map.GetContent);
   end;
end;
destructor TForm1.Destroy;
var i : integer;
begin
   for i := 0 to map.count-1 do
     Map.Data[i].Free;
   Map.Free;
   inherited Destroy;
end;
constructor TForm1.Create(TheOwner: TComponent);
begin
   inherited Create(TheOwner);
   ButtonAdd := TBUtton.Create(self);
   ButtonAdd.Parent := self;
   ButtonAdd.Left := 10;
   ButtonAdd.Top := 5;
   ButtonAdd.Caption := 'Add';
   ButtonAdd.OnClick := @ButtonAddClick;
   Edit1 := TEdit.Create(SELF);
   Edit1.Parent := self;
   Edit1.Top := 10;
   Edit1.Left := 100;
   Edit1.Text := '';
   Memo1:= TMemo.Create(self);
   Memo1.Parent := self;
   Memo1.Left := 16;
   Memo1.Height := 342;
   Memo1.Top := 74;
   Memo1.Width := 575;
   Memo1.lines.Clear;
   Map := TMapOfObjects.Create;
   //no matter what I set below, the same bug will appear. also,
duplicates are always added
//  Map.Duplicates:= dupError;
//  Map.Duplicates:= dupIgnore;
   n := 0;
   Edit1.Text := 'abc';
   ButtonAddClick(nil);
   Edit1.Text := 'HHIV4'; //will trigger bug;
//  Edit1.Text := 'defv4'; //but strangely if add 'defv4' wont' trigger bug
   ButtonAddClick(nil);
   Edit1.Text := 'ghiV4';  //bug seems to disappear after the 2nd item
is added. perhaps the buy is in binary search
   ButtonAddClick(nil);
end;
function TMapOfObjects.GetContent: String;
var i :Integer;
begin
   result := '';
   for i := 0 to count-1 do begin
     result := result+Keys[i]+',';
   end;
end;
end.

(...)

TMapOfObjects=class(specialize TFPGMap < String, TObject> )

(...)

I don't see any calls to 'Sort' or 'Sorted' in your code. 'Find', as you note, does a binary search thus expects the items to be sorted. You can also use 'IndexOf' instead.

-Flávio

I tried to debug it but cannot step into the codes of fgl unit so cannot

find the cause.

Recompile the unit yourself using debug info

But a map should not need any call to Sort, because it's the map's task to organize its data structure in such a way that Find does work as it should.

Regards,
Sven

That's my opinion too, I just replied based on the source code. Actually I had written some comments WRT that in my reply but removed it before sending because I don't know the history of the component. I was going to say something like: it's very unfortunate that the "most discoverable" map for FPC is a simple list of pairs and doesn't have clear/standard map API, and instead exposes its guts. Maybe Find should call IndexOf if Sorted = False for now?

Regards,
Flávio

But a map should not need any call to Sort, because it's the map's task

to organize its data structure in such a way that Find does work as it should.

TFPGMap seems to inherit its original sin: as long as it's a container that implements key-value based storage, then it's a map. And there it is, TFPGMap is created as a descendant of TFPSMap which in turn is a descendant of TFPSList. The last one is the source of Sort/IndexOf/whatever that normally doesn't apply to map containers. Sometimes I find it useful, though. So I don't really have a problem with it.