C++ STL Map vs Vector speed

Question

In the interpreter for my experimental programming language I have a symbol table. Each symbol consists of a name and a value (the value can be e.g.: of type string, int, fu

Answer 1

A map will scale much better, which will be an important feature. However, don't forget that when using a map, you can (unlike a vector) take pointers and references. In this case, you could easily "cache" variables with a map just as validly as a vector. A map is almost certainly the right choice here.