Maps are a fundamental key-value data structure in Cairo smart contracts that allow you to store and retrieve values using unique keys. The Map type in starknet::storage is specifically designed for contract storage for this purpose. Here’s a simple example that demonstrates how to use a Map: 
#[starknet::interface]
trait IMappings<TContractState> {
    fn set_value(ref self: TContractState, key: u32, value: u128);
    fn get_value(self: @TContractState, key: u32) -> u128;
}

#[starknet::contract]
mod Mappings {
    use starknet::storage::{StorageMapReadAccess, StorageMapWriteAccess};

    #[storage]
    struct Storage {
        // Simple mapping from u32 to u128
        values: Map<u32, u128>,
    }

    #[abi(embed_v0)]
    impl Mappings of super::IMappings<ContractState> {
        fn set_value(ref self: ContractState, key: u32, value: u128) {
            // Write a value to the map
            self.values.write(key, value);
        }

        fn get_value(self: @ContractState, key: u32) -> u128 {
            // Read a value from the map
            self.values.read(key)
        }
    }
}
Let’s break down the key components:
  • Declaration: Maps are declared using Map<KeyType, ValueType> syntax
  • Storage: Maps must be declared inside the contract’s Storage struct
    • You need to import the StorageMapReadAccess and StorageMapWriteAccess traits from starknet::storage
  • Operations:
    • write(key, value): Stores a value for a given key
    • read(key): Retrieves the value associated with a key
  • Maps automatically initialize all values to zero
  • Keys and values must be of valid storage types, see Storing Custom Types

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Composite Keys

For more complex scenarios, you can use composite keys by combining multiple values: 
// Example: ERC20 allowance mapping
Map<(ContractAddress, ContractAddress), felt252>  // (owner, spender) -> amount

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Storage Layout (advanced)

Under the hood, Cairo maps use a deterministic storage layout:
  • Each key-value pair is stored at a unique address calculated using Pedersen hashes
  • The address formula is: h(...h(h(sn_keccak(name),k1),k2),...,kn)\text{h}(...\text{h}(\text{h}(\text{sn\_keccak}(name),k_1),k_2),...,k_n) mod 2251−2562^{251} - 256
  • Learn more in the Cairo Book