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

Best practices

The transition to range-based STL is undoubtedly exhilarating. With this newfound expressiveness and clarity, we have powerful tools at our fingertips. However, understanding a set of best practices is essential to maximize the potential of ranges and ensure the maintainability of your code base. Let us look at some of the best practices that we can implement.

Embracing the power of chaining

One of the standout features of ranges is their natural ability to chain operations. Chaining not only enhances readability but also improves efficiency by avoiding intermediary storage:

std::vector<int> nums = {5, 8, 10, 14, 18};
auto result = nums | std::views::filter([](int n) { return n % 2 == 0; })
                   | std::views::transform([](int n) { return n * 2; });

This elegant one-liner filters out odd numbers and then doubles the even ones. By promoting such...