Book Image

C++20 STL Cookbook

By : Bill Weinman
Book Image

C++20 STL Cookbook

By: Bill Weinman

Overview of this book

Fast, efficient, and flexible, the C++ programming language has come a long way and is used in every area of the industry to solve many problems. The latest version C++20 will see programmers change the way they code as it brings a whole array of features enabling the quick deployment of applications. This book will get you up and running with using the STL in the best way possible. Beginning with new language features in C++20, this book will help you understand the language's mechanics and library features and offer insights into how they work. Unlike other books, the C++20 STL Cookbook takes an implementation-specific, problem-solution approach that will help you overcome hurdles quickly. You'll learn core STL concepts, such as containers, algorithms, utility classes, lambda expressions, iterators, and more, while working on real-world recipes. This book is a reference guide for using the C++ STL with its latest capabilities and exploring the cutting-edge features in functional programming and lambda expressions. By the end of the book C++20 book, you'll be able to leverage the latest C++ features and save time and effort while solving tasks elegantly using the STL.
Table of Contents (13 chapters)

Use string_view as a lightweight string object

The string_view class provides a lightweight alternative to the string class. Instead of maintaining its own data store, string_view operates on a view of a C-string. This makes string_view smaller and more efficient than std::string. It's useful in cases where you need a string object but don't need the more memory- and computation-intensive features of std::string.

How to do it…

The string_view class looks deceptively similar to the STL string class, but it works a bit differently. Let's consider some examples:

  • Here's an STL string initialized from a C-string (array of char):
    char text[]{ "hello" };
    string greeting{ text };
    text[0] = 'J';
    cout << text << ' ' << greeting << '\n';

Output:

Jello hello

Notice that the string does not change when we modify the array. This is because the string constructor creates its own copy...