STL - Introduction
cpp
stl
Importing the library: #include <bits/stdc++.h>
This is a non-standard header file found specific to GCC typically found in the bits directory under the GCC include path. It imports a bunch of standard C++ library headers like <iostream>, <vector>, <algorithm> etc. typically used in programming contests. This library can also be pre-compiled to make your local runtimes faster
The Standard Template Library (STL) is a set of C++ template classes and functions to provide several common programming data structures and algorithms
The main components of the C++ STL include:
1. Containers
- A container is a holder object that stores a collection of elements. They are implemented as class templates, which allows great flexibility in the types supported as elements.
- The container manages the storage space for its elements and provides member functions to access them, either directly or through iterators (reference objects with similar properties to pointers).
- Types of Containers:
2. Algorithms
Algorithms are functions that operate over the data stored in containers. The STL provides a wide range of algorithms for tasks such as sorting, searching, and modifying elements in containers. See STL Algorithms
3. Iterators
Iterators are objects that provide a way to access the elements of a container. They act as a generalization of pointers and allow algorithms to operate on different types of containers without knowing their implementation details
4. Function Objects
Function objects, also known as functors, are objects that can be used as function arguments to algorithms. They provide a way to pass a function to an algorithm, allowing you to customize its behavior