Utility library

C++ includes a variety of utility libraries that provide functionality ranging from bit-counting to partial function application. These libraries can be broadly divided into two groups:

  • language support libraries, and
  • general-purpose libraries.

Language support

Language support libraries provide classes and functions that interact closely with language features and support common language idioms.

Type support

Basic types (e.g. std::size_t, std::nullptr_t), RTTI (e.g. std::type_info), type traits (e.g. std::is_integral, std::rank).

Dynamic memory management

Smart pointers (e.g. std::shared_ptr), allocators (e.g. std::allocator), C-style memory management (e.g. std::malloc).

Error handling

Exceptions (e.g. std::exception, std::logic_error), assertions (e.g. assert).

Initializer lists

allows the use of initializer list syntax to initialize non-aggregate types
(class template)

Variadic functions

Support for functions that take an arbitrary number of parameters (via e.g. va_start, va_arg, va_end).

General-purpose utilities

Program utilities

Termination (e.g. std::abort, std::atexit), environment (e.g. std::system), signals (e.g. std::raise).

Date and time

Time tracking (e.g. std::chrono::time_point, std::chrono::duration), C-style date and time (e.g. std::time, std::clock).

Bitset

implements constant length bit array
(class)

Function objects

Partial function application (e.g. std::bind) and related utilities: utilities for binding such as std::ref and std::placeholders, polymorphic function wrappers: std::function, predefined functors (e.g. std::plus, std::equal_to), method to function converters std::mem_fn.

Pairs and tuples

implements binary tuple, i.e. a pair of values
(class template)
(C++11)
implements fixed size container, which holds elements of possibly different types
(class template)
tag type used to select correct function overload for piecewise construction
(class)
an object of type piecewise_construct_t used to disambiguate functions for piecewise construction
(constant)
implements compile-time sequence of integers
(class template)

Swap, forward and move

swaps the values of two objects
(function template)
(C++14)
replaces the argument with a new value and returns its previous value
(function template)
(C++11)
forwards a function argument
(function template)
(C++11)
obtains an rvalue reference
(function template)
obtains an rvalue reference if the move constructor does not throw
(function template)

Type operations

(C++11)
obtains a reference to its argument for use in unevaluated context
(function template)
(C++17)
obtains a reference to const to its argument
(function template)

Relational operators

Defined in namespace std::rel_ops
automatically generates comparison operators based on user-defined operator== and operator<
(function template)

Hash support

(C++11)
hash function object
(class template)
doc_CPP
2016-10-11 10:09:01
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