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

Custom allocator basics

The magic behind dynamic memory management in std::vector (and many other STL containers) lies in a component that might not immediately catch your attention: the allocator. At its core, an allocator serves as an interface, abstracting the memory source for the container. This abstraction ensures that the container, like our trusty std::vector, can function without being tethered to a specific memory source or allocation strategy.

The role and responsibility of an allocator

Allocators are the unsung heroes of memory management. They handle allocating and deallocating memory chunks, thus ensuring that our data structures grow and shrink gracefully. Beyond these tasks, allocators can also construct and destroy objects. They bridge the gap between raw memory operations and higher-level object management.

But why do we need such an abstraction? Why not simply use the new and delete operations? The answer lies in flexibility. The STL empowers developers...