Using trees to store data

A tree is an example of a non-linear data structure, unlike arrays and linked lists which are linear. A tree is often used in games that require hierarchy. Imagine a car with many parts and all the parts are functional, upgradable, and can be interacted with. In this case, we will create the entire class for the car using a tree data structure. A tree uses a parent-child relationship to traverse between all the nodes.

Getting ready

For this recipe, you will need a Windows machine with a working copy of Visual Studio.

How to do it…

In this recipe, we will be implementing a binary tree. There are many variations of the binary tree. We will be creating the most basic binary tree. It is very easy to add new logic to a binary tree to implement a balanced binary, or AVL tree, and so on:

1. Open Visual Studio.

2. Create a new C++ project.

3. Select Win32 Console Application.

4. Add a source file called CTree.cpp.

5. Add the following lines of code to it:

   // Initialize the node with a value and...