ligo/gitlab-pages/docs/reference/big_map.md

id	title
big-map-reference	Big Maps — Scalable Maps

import Syntax from '@theme/Syntax';

Ordinary maps are fine for contracts with a finite lifespan or a bounded number of users. For many contracts however, the intention is to have a map holding many entries, potentially millions of them. The cost of loading those entries into the environment each time a user executes the contract would eventually become too expensive were it not for big maps. Big maps are a data structure offered by Michelson which handles the scaling concerns for us. In LIGO, the interface for big maps is analogous to the one used for ordinary maps.

Declaring a Map

type move is int * int
type register is big_map (address, move)

type move = int * int
type register = (address, move) big_map

type move = (int, int);
type register = big_map (address, move);

Creating an Empty Big Map

const empty : register = big_map []

let empty : register = Big_map.empty

let empty : register = Big_map.empty

Creating a Non-empty Map

const moves : register =
  big_map [
    ("tz1KqTpEZ7Yob7QbPE4Hy4Wo8fHG8LhKxZSx" : address) -> (1,2);
    ("tz1gjaF81ZRRvdzjobyfVNsAeSC6PScjfQwN" : address) -> (0,3)]

let moves : register =
  Big_map.literal [
    (("tz1KqTpEZ7Yob7QbPE4Hy4Wo8fHG8LhKxZSx" : address), (1,2));
    (("tz1gjaF81ZRRvdzjobyfVNsAeSC6PScjfQwN" : address), (0,3))]

let moves : register =
  Big_map.literal ([
    ("tz1KqTpEZ7Yob7QbPE4Hy4Wo8fHG8LhKxZSx" : address, (1,2)),
    ("tz1gjaF81ZRRvdzjobyfVNsAeSC6PScjfQwN" : address, (0,3))]);

Accessing Values

const my_balance : option (move) =
  moves [("tz1gjaF81ZRRvdzjobyfVNsAeSC6PScjfQwN" : address)]

let my_balance : move option =
  Big_map.find_opt ("tz1gjaF81ZRRvdzjobyfVNsAeSC6PScjfQwN" : address) moves

let my_balance : option (move) =
  Big_map.find_opt ("tz1gjaF81ZRRvdzjobyfVNsAeSC6PScjfQwN" : address, moves);

Updating Big Maps

function add (var m : register) : register is
  block {
    m [("tz1gjaF81ZRRvdzjobyfVNsAeSC6PScjfQwN": address)] := (4,9)
  } with m

const updated_map : register = add (moves)

let updated_map : register =
  Big_map.update
    ("tz1gjaF81ZRRvdzjobyfVNsAeSC6PScjfQwN" : address) (Some (4,9)) moves

let updated_map : register =
  Big_map.update
    (("tz1gjaF81ZRRvdzjobyfVNsAeSC6PScjfQwN": address), Some ((4,9)), moves);

Removing Bindings

function rem (var m : register) : register is
  block {
    remove ("tz1gjaF81ZRRvdzjobyfVNsAeSC6PScjfQwN": address) from map moves
  } with m

const updated_map : register = rem (moves)

let updated_map : register =
  Map.remove ("tz1gjaF81ZRRvdzjobyfVNsAeSC6PScjfQwN": address) moves

let updated_map : register =
  Map.remove (("tz1gjaF81ZRRvdzjobyfVNsAeSC6PScjfQwN": address), moves)