C++ Standard Template Library

Iterators

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C++ Standard Template Library

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C++ Iterators
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• An iterator is a pointer-like object representing an element's position in a container. It is used to iterate over elements in a container.

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• Suppose we have a vector named nums of size 4. Then, begin() and end()
are member functions that return iterators pointing to the beginning and
end of the vector respectively.

--• nums.begin() points to the first element in the vector i.e 0th index
• nums.begin() + i points to the element at the ith index.
• nums.end() points to one element past the final element in the vector

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• These iterators combine the capabilities of both input and output iterators. They allow reading and writing values in a
forward direction. Many container types, like lists, support forward iterators.

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Operations supported by Iterators
Why use Iterators ?
• Working with Algorithms: C++ has many ready-to-use algorithms like finding

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elements, sorting, and summing values. Iterators help you apply these
algorithms to different types of data containers like arrays or lists.
• Saving Memory: Instead of loading a huge set of data all at once, iterators let
you deal with one item at a time, which saves memory.
• Uniform Approach: Iterators allow you to interact with different kinds of data
containers (like vectors or sets) in the same way. This makes your code more
consistent and easier to manage.
• Simpler Code: By using iterators, a lot of the repetitive details of going through
data are taken care of, making your code cleaner and easier to read.
Why use Iterators ?
• Working with Algorithms: C++ has many ready-to-use algorithms like finding
elements, sorting, and summing values. Iterators help you apply these
algorithms to different types of data containers like arrays or lists.
• Saving Memory: Instead of loading a huge set of data all at once, iterators let
you deal with one item at a time, which saves memory.
• Uniform Approach: Iterators allow you to interact with different kinds of data
containers (like vectors or sets) in the same way. This makes your code more
consistent and easier to manage.
• Simpler Code: By using iterators, a lot of the repetitive details of going through
data are taken care of, making your code cleaner and easier to read.
Why use Iterators ?
• Working with Algorithms: C++ has many ready-to-use algorithms like finding
elements, sorting, and summing values. Iterators help you apply these
algorithms to different types of data containers like arrays or lists.
• Saving Memory: Instead of loading a huge set of data all at once, iterators let
you deal with one item at a time, which saves memory.
• Uniform Approach: Iterators allow you to interact with different kinds of data
containers (like vectors or sets) in the same way. This makes your code more
consistent and easier to manage.
• Simpler Code: By using iterators, a lot of the repetitive details of going through
data are taken care of, making your code cleaner and easier to read.