Implementing a B+ tree was the final assignment in a grad-level Algorithms & Data Structures call that I took. I thought it was a reasonable assignment in that context. It felt like a good capstone to the class, building on what we had learned and finally crossing the line from toy examples to something that approached real-world usefulness.
It seems very out-of-place for a databases course. Yes, B-Trees are important for a database, but I don't see how implementing one teaches you about how a database uses one or why it's important.
It seems very out-of-place for a databases course. Yes, B-Trees are important for a database, but I don't see how implementing one teaches you about how a database uses one or why it's important.