Book Image

Data Structures and Algorithms with the C++ STL

By : John Farrier
5 (2)
Book Image

Data Structures and Algorithms with the C++ STL

5 (2)
By: John Farrier

Overview of this book

While the Standard Template Library (STL) offers a rich set of tools for data structures and algorithms, navigating its intricacies can be daunting for intermediate C++ developers without expert guidance. This book offers a thorough exploration of the STL’s components, covering fundamental data structures, advanced algorithms, and concurrency features. Starting with an in-depth analysis of the std::vector, this book highlights its pivotal role in the STL, progressing toward building your proficiency in utilizing vectors, managing memory, and leveraging iterators. The book then advances to STL’s data structures, including sequence containers, associative containers, and unordered containers, simplifying the concepts of container adaptors and views to enhance your knowledge of modern STL programming. Shifting the focus to STL algorithms, you’ll get to grips with sorting, searching, and transformations and develop the skills to implement and modify algorithms with best practices. Advanced sections cover extending the STL with custom types and algorithms, as well as concurrency features, exception safety, and parallel algorithms. By the end of this book, you’ll have transformed into a proficient STL practitioner ready to tackle real-world challenges and build efficient and scalable C++ applications.
Table of Contents (30 chapters)
Free Chapter
1
Part 1: Mastering std::vector
7
Part 2: Understanding STL Data Structures
13
Part 3: Mastering STL Algorithms
19
Part 4: Creating STL-Compatible Types and Algorithms
23
Part 5: STL Data Structures and Algorithms: Under the Hood

Sorting

Sorting is a fundamental concept every programmer encounters, yet it is not just about ordering elements. It’s about optimization, understanding the nature of your data, and selecting the right approach to arrange that data meaningfully. The vast toolkit of the C++ STL has a rich array of sorting algorithms tailored to various scenarios and datasets. But how do you choose? How do you effectively wield these tools for optimal results? Let’s embark on this enlightening journey together.

To begin with, why do we sort? Sorting makes data aesthetically appealing and paves the way for efficient searching, data analysis, and optimized data structures. Whether it is sorting names in an address book or products by price in an online store, the act of sorting is deeply woven into the fabric of computing.

The STL provides a primary sorting function: std::sort. This function is versatile and can sort almost any sequence of elements, from arrays to vectors. Under the...