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

Operations on sorted ranges

The allure of sorting isn’t just about placing elements for the sake of neatness. Instead, it is about the power it grants us in subsequent operations—streamlined navigation, efficient querying, and enhanced manipulation capabilities. For C++ developers, understanding operations on sorted ranges is like acquiring a new set of superpowers. Armed with the C++ STL’s tools for these sorted sequences, the world of efficient algorithmic operations becomes an open field, ready for exploration.

So, what’s the big deal about having sorted ranges? Consider the difference between looking for a book in a disordered pile versus finding it on a neatly organized shelf. When the data are sorted, algorithms can take shortcuts, such as dividing and conquering, leading to logarithmic rather than linear-time complexities.

A primary technique leveraged for sorted ranges is binary search. In C++, std::lower_bound and std::upper_bound are your...