22 Containers library [containers]

22.2 Container requirements [container.requirements]

22.2.3 Sequence containers [sequence.reqmts]

A sequence container organizes a finite set of objects, all of the same type, into a strictly linear arrangement.

The library provides four basic kinds of sequence containers: vector, forward_list, list, and deque.

In addition, array is provided as a sequence container which provides limited sequence operations because it has a fixed number of elements.

The library also provides container adaptors that make it easy to construct abstract data types, such as stacks or queues, out of the basic sequence container kinds (or out of other kinds of sequence containers that the user defines).

[Note 1:

The sequence containers offer the programmer different complexity trade-offs.

vector is appropriate in most circumstances.

array has a fixed size known during translation.

list or forward_list support frequent insertions and deletions from the middle of the sequence.

deque supports efficient insertions and deletions taking place at the beginning or at the end of the sequence.

When choosing a container, remember vector is best; leave a comment to explain if you choose from the rest!

— end note]

In Tables 77 and 78, X denotes a sequence container class, a denotes a value of type X containing elements of type T, u denotes the name of a variable being declared, A denotes X::allocator_type if the qualified-id X::allocator_type is valid and denotes a type ([temp.deduct]) and allocator<T> if it doesn't, i and j denote iterators that meet the Cpp17InputIterator requirements and refer to elements implicitly convertible to value_type, [i, j) denotes a valid range, il designates an object of type initializer_list<value_type>, n denotes a value of type X::size_type, p denotes a valid constant iterator to a, q denotes a valid dereferenceable constant iterator to a, [q1, q2) denotes a valid range of constant iterators in a, t denotes an lvalue or a const rvalue of X::value_type, and rv denotes a non-const rvalue of X::value_type.

Args denotes a template parameter pack; args denotes a function parameter pack with the pattern Args&&.

The complexities of the expressions are sequence dependent.

Table 77: Sequence container requirements (in addition to container) [tab:container.seq.req]

🔗	Expression	Return type	Assertion/note
🔗			pre-/post-condition
🔗	X(n, t) X u(n, t);		Preconditions: T is Cpp17CopyInsertable into X. Postconditions: distance(begin(), end()) == n Effects: Constructs a sequence container with n copies of t
🔗	X(i, j) X u(i, j);		Preconditions: T is Cpp17EmplaceConstructible into X from i. For vector, if the iterator does not meet the Cpp17ForwardIterator* requirements ([forward.iterators]), T is also Cpp17MoveInsertable into X. Postconditions: distance(begin(), end()) == distance(i, j) Effects: Constructs a sequence container equal to the range [i, j). Each iterator in the range [i, j) is dereferenced exactly once.
🔗	X(il)		Equivalent to X(il.begin(), il.end())
🔗	a = il	X&	Preconditions: T is Cpp17CopyInsertable into X and Cpp17CopyAssignable. Effects: Assigns the range [il.begin(), il.end()) into a. All existing elements of a are either assigned to or destroyed. Returns: *this.
🔗	a.emplace(p, args)	iterator	Preconditions: T is Cpp17EmplaceConstructible into X from args. For vector and deque, T is also Cpp17MoveInsertable into X and Cpp17MoveAssignable. Effects: Inserts an object of type T constructed with std::forward<Args>(args)... before p. [Note 2: args can directly or indirectly refer to a value in a. — end note]
🔗	a.insert(p,t)	iterator	Preconditions: T is Cpp17CopyInsertable into X. For vector and deque, T is also Cpp17CopyAssignable. Effects: Inserts a copy of t before p.
🔗	a.insert(p,rv)	iterator	Preconditions: T is Cpp17MoveInsertable into X. For vector and deque, T is also Cpp17MoveAssignable. Effects: Inserts a copy of rv before p.
🔗	a.insert(p,n,t)	iterator	Preconditions: T is Cpp17CopyInsertable into X and Cpp17CopyAssignable. Effects: Inserts n copies of t before p.
🔗	a.insert(p,i,j)	iterator	Preconditions: T is Cpp17EmplaceConstructible into X from i. For vector and deque, T is also Cpp17MoveInsertable* into X, Cpp17MoveConstructible, Cpp17MoveAssignable, and swappable ([swappable.requirements]). Neither i nor j are iterators into a. Effects: Inserts copies of elements in [i, j) before p. Each iterator in the range [i, j) shall be dereferenced exactly once.
🔗	a.insert(p, il)	iterator	a.insert(p, il.begin(), il.end()).
🔗	a.erase(q)	iterator	Preconditions: For vector and deque, T is Cpp17MoveAssignable. Effects: Erases the element pointed to by q.
🔗	a.erase(q1,q2)	iterator	Preconditions: For vector and deque, T is Cpp17MoveAssignable. Effects: Erases the elements in the range [q1, q2).
🔗	a.clear()	void	Effects: Destroys all elements in a. Invalidates all references, pointers, and iterators referring to the elements of a and may invalidate the past-the-end iterator. Postconditions: a.empty() is true. Complexity: Linear.
🔗	a.assign(i,j)	void	Preconditions: T is Cpp17EmplaceConstructible into X from i and assignable from i. For vector, if the iterator does not meet the forward iterator requirements ([forward.iterators]), T is also Cpp17MoveInsertable into X. Neither i nor j are iterators into a. Effects: Replaces elements in a with a copy of [i, j). Invalidates all references, pointers and iterators referring to the elements of a. For vector and deque, also invalidates the past-the-end iterator. Each iterator in the range [i, j) shall be dereferenced exactly once.
🔗	a.assign(il)	void	a.assign(il.begin(), il.end()).
🔗	a.assign(n,t)	void	Preconditions: T is Cpp17CopyInsertable into X and Cpp17CopyAssignable. t is not a reference into a. Effects: Replaces elements in a with n copies of t. Invalidates all references, pointers and iterators referring to the elements of a. For vector and deque, also invalidates the past-the-end iterator.

The iterator returned from a.insert(p, t) points to the copy of t inserted into a.

The iterator returned from a.insert(p, rv) points to the copy of rv inserted into a.

The iterator returned from a.insert(p, n, t) points to the copy of the first element inserted into a, or p if n == 0.

The iterator returned from a.insert(p, i, j) points to the copy of the first element inserted into a, or p if i == j.

The iterator returned from a.insert(p, il) points to the copy of the first element inserted into a, or p if il is empty.

The iterator returned from a.emplace(p, args) points to the new element constructed from args into a.

The iterator returned from a.erase(q) points to the element immediately following q prior to the element being erased.

If no such element exists, a.end() is returned.

The iterator returned by a.erase(q1, q2) points to the element pointed to by q2 prior to any elements being erased.

If no such element exists, a.end() is returned.

For every sequence container defined in this Clause and in [strings]:

(13.1)
If the constructor template<class InputIterator> X(InputIterator first, InputIterator last, const allocator_type& alloc = allocator_type()); is called with a type InputIterator that does not qualify as an input iterator, then the constructor shall not participate in overload resolution.
(13.2)
If the member functions of the forms: template<class InputIterator> return-type F(const_iterator p, InputIterator first, InputIterator last); // such as insert template<class InputIterator> return-type F(InputIterator first, InputIterator last); // such as append, assign template<class InputIterator> return-type F(const_iterator i1, const_iterator i2, InputIterator first, InputIterator last); // such as replace are called with a type InputIterator that does not qualify as an input iterator, then these functions shall not participate in overload resolution.
(13.3)
A deduction guide for a sequence container shall not participate in overload resolution if it has an InputIterator template parameter and a type that does not qualify as an input iterator is deduced for that parameter, or if it has an Allocator template parameter and a type that does not qualify as an allocator is deduced for that parameter.

Table 78 lists operations that are provided for some types of sequence containers but not others.

An implementation shall provide these operations for all container types shown in the “container” column, and shall implement them so as to take amortized constant time.

Table 78: Optional sequence container operations [tab:container.seq.opt]

🔗	Expression	Return type	Operational semantics	Container
🔗	a.front()	reference; const_reference for constant a	*a.begin()	basic_string, array, deque, forward_list, list, vector
🔗	a.back()	reference; const_reference for constant a	{ auto tmp = a.end(); --tmp; return *tmp; }	basic_string, array, deque, list, vector
🔗	a.emplace_front(args)	reference	Effects: Prepends an object of type T constructed with std::forward<Args>(args).... Preconditions: T is Cpp17EmplaceConstructible into X from args. Returns: a.front().	deque, forward_list, list
🔗	a.emplace_back(args)	reference	Effects: Appends an object of type T constructed with std::forward<Args>(args).... Preconditions: T is Cpp17EmplaceConstructible into X from args. For vector, T is also Cpp17MoveInsertable into X. Returns: a.back().	deque, list, vector
🔗	a.push_front(t)	void	Effects: Prepends a copy of t. Preconditions: T is Cpp17CopyInsertable into X.	deque, forward_list, list
🔗	a.push_front(rv)	void	Effects: Prepends a copy of rv. Preconditions: T is Cpp17MoveInsertable into X.	deque, forward_list, list
🔗	a.push_back(t)	void	Effects: Appends a copy of t. Preconditions: T is Cpp17CopyInsertable into X.	basic_string, deque, list, vector
🔗	a.push_back(rv)	void	Effects: Appends a copy of rv. Preconditions: T is Cpp17MoveInsertable into X.	basic_string, deque, list, vector
🔗	a.pop_front()	void	Effects: Destroys the first element. Preconditions: a.empty() is false.	deque, forward_list, list
🔗	a.pop_back()	void	Effects: Destroys the last element. Preconditions: a.empty() is false.	basic_string, deque, list, vector
🔗	a[n]	reference; const_reference for constant a	*(a.begin() + n)	basic_string, array, deque, vector
🔗	a.at(n)	reference; const_reference for constant a	*(a.begin() + n)	basic_string, array, deque, vector

The member function at() provides bounds-checked access to container elements.

at() throws out_of_range if n >= a.size().