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The Standard Template Library (STL) in C++ is a collection of template classes that provide commonly used data structures and functions, including arrays, lists, and stacks. It consists of four main components: algorithms, containers, functors, and iterators.
STL Algorithms:
The "algorithm" header provides functions for operations on ranges of elements, including sorting, searching, and numeric operations.
Useful array algorithms and partition operations are available to manipulate array elements.
The "numeric" module offers algorithms for numerical computations.
The "valarray" class is designed for numerical arrays.
STL Containers:
Sequence Containers:
"vector" provides dynamic arrays with variable size.
"list" offers linked lists for efficient insertion and deletion at any position.
"deque" implements double-ended queues.
"array" provides static arrays with a fixed size.
"forward_list" (since C++11) offers singly-linked lists.
Container Adaptors:
"queue" provides a FIFO (First-In-First-Out) data structure.
"priority_queue" offers a priority-based queue.
"stack" implements a LIFO (Last-In-First-Out) data structure.
Associative Containers:
"set" stores unique elements in a sorted order.
"multiset" allows duplicate elements in sorted order.
"map" stores key-value pairs in a sorted order based on the keys.
"multimap" allows duplicate key-value pairs in sorted order.
Unordered Associative Containers (since C++11):
"unordered_set" stores unique elements with fast search.
"unordered_multiset" allows duplicate elements with fast search.
"unordered_map" stores key-value pairs with fast search based on the keys.
"unordered_multimap" allows duplicate key-value pairs with fast search.
Functors:
Within the STL, there are classes that implement the function call operator. These classes, known as functors or function objects, provide customization of associated functions by accepting parameters. Functors enable flexible behavior customization in the STL.
Iterators:
Iterators are a fundamental feature of the STL, facilitating operations on sequences of values. They play a vital role in achieving generality within the STL, allowing for traversal and manipulation of elements in various containers. Iterators provide a uniform interface for accessing and manipulating data in a range of containers.