Does this skill support 'decrease-key' operations?

Standard Python heapq does not support decrease-key directly. This skill implements the recommended pattern of adding duplicates with updated priorities or using an indexed heap for those specific needs.

What is the advantage of using a priority queue over a sorted list?

Priority queues using heaps offer O(log n) insertion and extraction, which is significantly more efficient than maintaining a fully sorted list (O(n)) when frequently adding and removing elements.

How does the skill handle tie-breaking in priorities?

It uses a tuple-based ordering pattern (priority, tiebreaker, data) which ensures stable and predictable ordering when two items have the same priority level.

Can I use this for both min-heaps and max-heaps?

Yes. While heapq is a min-heap by default, this skill provides patterns for implementing max-heaps, typically by inverting the priority values (multiplying by -1).

Priority Queue Implementation Patterns

Name: Priority Queue Implementation Patterns
Author: jimmc414

byjimmc414

•

Data Science & ML

Implements high-performance priority queues for pathfinding, scheduling, and stream processing using efficient heap-based structures.

This skill provides standardized patterns for implementing priority queues in Python, drawing from Peter Norvig's high-efficiency 'pytudes' designs. It guides Claude to leverage the heapq module for O(log n) operations, facilitating the development of complex algorithms like A* search, Dijkstra's pathfinding, and event-driven simulations. By providing clear templates for priority ordering, O(n) heapification, and wrapper classes, it ensures robust and performant data structure management for any application requiring 'best-first' or 'smallest-first' processing logic.

Key Features

01Support for O(n) initial heap construction via the heapify pattern

02Efficient O(log n) push and pop operations using Python's heapq module

03Optimized templates for A* and Dijkstra pathfinding algorithm integration

04Tuple-based ordering patterns for stable priority and tie-breaking logic

05Standardized PriorityQueue wrapper class for clean, readable implementations

061 GitHub stars

Use Cases

01Managing task schedulers that prioritize work based on dynamic importance or urgency scores

02Building event-driven simulation engines that must process chronological events efficiently

03Implementing A* or Dijkstra's algorithm for pathfinding in games or logistics software

What are Skills?·How to Install

Install with 🐟 Skill.Fish

npx skillfish add jimmc414/claude-code-plugin-marketplace build-priority-queue

For use in Claude.ai and ChatGPT

Download Skill