Creation and Use of C++ Vector

What is C++ Vector: STL Basics

Vector is a template class in STL (Standard Template Library) of C++ programming language. C++ vectors are sequence containers that store elements.

Specifically used to work with dynamic data, C++ vectors may expand depending on the elements they contain. That makes it different from a fixed-size array.

C++ vectors can automatically manage storage. It is efficient if you add and delete data often. Bear in mind however, that a vector might consume more memory than an array.

Why Use Vectors in C++

Vectors C++ are preferable when managing ever-changing data elements.

It is handy if you don’t know how big the data is beforehand since you don’t need to set the maximum size of the container. Since it’s possible to resize C++ vectors, it offers better flexibility to handle dynamic elements.

C++ vectors offer excellent efficiency. It is a template class, which means no more typing in the same code to handle different data.

If you use vectors, you can copy and assign other vectors with ease. There are different ways to do that: using the iterative method, assignment operator =, an in-built function, or passing vector as a constructor.

In C++ vectors, automatic reallocation happens whenever the total amount of memory is used. This reallocation relates to how size and capacity function works.

How to Create C++ Vectors

Vectors in C++ work by declaring which program uses them. The common syntax look like this:

vector <type> variable (elements)

For example:

vector <int> rooms (9);

Let's break it down:

• type defines a data type stored in a vector (e.g., <int>, <double> or <string>)
• variable is a name that you choose for the data
• elements specified the number of elements for the data

It is mandatory to determine the type and variable name. However, the number of elements is optional.

Basically, all the data elements are stored in contiguous storage. Whenever you want to access or move through the data, you can use iterators.

The data elements in C++ vectors are inserted at the end. Use modifiers to insert new elements or delete existing ones.

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Iterators

An iterator allows you to access the data elements stored within the C++ vector. It is an object that functions as a pointer. There are five types of iterators in C++: input, output, forward, bidirectional, and random access.

C++ vectors support random access iterators. Here are a few function you may use with iterators for C++ vectors:

• vector::begin() returns an iterator to point at the first element of a C++ vector.
• vector::end() returns an iterator to point at past-the-end element of a C++ vector.
• vector::cbegin() is similar to vector::begin(), but without the ability to modify the content.
• vector::cend() issimilar to vector::end() but can’t modify the content.

Modifiers

As its name suggests, you can use a modifier to change the meaning of a specified type of data. Here are some modifiers you can use in C++ vectors:

• vector::push_back() pushes elements from the back.
• vector::insert() inserts new elements to a specified location.
• vector::pop_back() removes elements from the back.
• vector::erase() removes a range of elements from a specified location.
• vector::clear() removes all elements.

Breaking It Down With Examples

There are many ways to initialize C++ vectors. You can use them depending on your preferences or the size of your data.

Start with default value

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <vector>

int main() {
    // Vector with 5 integers
    // Default value of integers will be 0.
    std::vector < int >
        vecOfInts(5);
    for (int x: vecOfInts)
        std::cout << x << std::endl;
}

Start with an array

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <vector>

int main() {
    // Array of string objects
    std::string arr[] = {
        "first",
        "sec",
        "third",
        "fourth"
    };

    // Vector with a string array
    std::vector < std::string > vecOfStr(arr,
        arr +
        sizeof(arr) / sizeof(std::string));
    for (std::string str: vecOfStr)
        std::cout << str << std::endl;
}

Start with a list

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <vector>
#include <list>

int main() {
    // std::list of 5 string objects
    std::list < std::string > listOfStr;
    listOfStr.push_back("first");
    listOfStr.push_back("sec");
    listOfStr.push_back("third");
    listOfStr.push_back("fouth");
    // Vector with std::list
    std::vector < std::string > vecOfStr(listOfStr.begin(), listOfStr.end());
    for (std::string str: vecOfStr)
        std::cout << str << std::endl;
}

Start by copying from another vector

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <vector>

int main() {
    std::vector < std::string > vecOfStr;
    vecOfStr.push_back("first");
    vecOfStr.push_back("sec");
    vecOfStr.push_back("third");
    // Vector with other string object
    std::vector < std::string > vecOfStr3(vecOfStr);
}

When using certain initialization, you might need to set the size of the vector. Size refers to the number of elements a vector contains. It is not the same as capacity, which is the maximum number of elements a vector can contain.

To manage it, you can use size() function:

#include<iostream>
#include<vector>

using namespace std;

int main() {
    vector <int> v {
        1,
        2,
        3,
        4,
        5
    };
    int n = v.size();
    cout << "Size of the vector is :" << n;
}

You can also use the max_size() function like this:

#include <iostream>
#include<vector>

using namespace std;

int main() {
    vector <int> v {
        1,
        2,
        3,
        4,
        5
    };
    std::cout << v.max_size() << std::endl;
}

Most of the time, you will need to access a specified element in a C++ vector. To do that, you can use the [] selector function as shown below:

#include<iostream>
#include<vector>

using namespace std;

int main() {
    vector <int> v {
        1,
        2,
        3,
        4,
        5
    };
    for (int i = 0; i < v.size(); i++)
        cout << v.operator[](i) << " ";
}

If you want to replace a certain value with a new one, you can use = operator:

#include<iostream>
#include<vector>

using namespace std;
int main() {
    vector <char> v {
        'C',
        '#'
    };
    vector <char> v1;
    v1.operator = (v);
    for (int i = 0; i < v.size(); i++)
        std::cout << v[i];
}

C++ Vector: Useful Tips

• It is recommended to use C++ vector if your data elements are not predetermined.
• As a template class, C++ vectors offer better efficiency and reusability.
• Compared to arrays, there are more ways to copy vectors in C++.