should we need to know how to implement built-in data structures?

I'm a C# developer and I use data structures such as List and Dictionary all the time, I'm reading some interview books and they all seem to suggest that we should kno开发者_运维技巧w how to implement such data structures as well as how to use them, do a lot of you share the same viewpoint?

I would say that at a minimum every competent programmer should understand the internals of the most widely used data structures.

By that I mean being able to explain how they work internally, and what complexity guarantees (both time and space) they offer.

Yes.

For the same reasons that a C or C++ programmer should be familiar with assembly language; it helps you understand what is going on under the hood, and improves your ability to select the appropriate data structure for your particular programming problem.

In the same vein, you don't have to write a compiler use your favorite programming language effectively, but you can greatly improve your knowledge about that language by writing a compiler for it.

If you don't know how to implement the data structure how can you possibly say you understand the strengths and weaknesses of the structure in question? As aix mentioned it should be a requirement that you understand the internals of what you are using. I would never trust a mechanic who didn't understand how an engine worked.

It is preferably that you know how to implement these data structures, but you do not need this knowledge in order to be a competent or even effective programmer.

You should have a high level understanding of (obviously) what they do but also how they do it. That should suffice.

I don't need to know the inner workings of every tool I use to be able to use it effectively. I just need to have a grasp on what it does, which uses it is suited to, and which uses it is not suited to.

The best programmers will know such data structures and all known variations inside out, but then they will also know every little corner of their chosen language / framework as well. They are well above the 'competent' level.