C++ Handbook

C++ Standard Headers Index

C++ Standard Headers Index

A grouped index of C++ standard headers with one-line summaries of the main facilities each header provides.

How to use this reference page

Use reference pages to confirm names, categories, nearby facilities, and the constraints that matter before writing or reviewing code.

  • Scan the top of the page first to identify the primary types, functions, or algorithm families involved.
  • Use the nearby-page links when your question is really about a companion header, related algorithm family, or broader subsystem.
  • Validate tricky behavior with a small compileable example before relying on memory for details like invalidation, ordering, allocation, or lifetime rules.

C++ Standard Headers Index

Core support and type utilities

Strings, text, and formatting

Algorithms, iterators, and ranges

Containers and views

Memory and resource management

I/O and filesystem

Time, numerics, and randomness

Concurrency and atomics

Errors and diagnostics

C compatibility headers

Representative c-prefixed headers include <cassert>, <cctype>, <cerrno>, <cstddef>, <cstdint>, <cstdio>, <cstdlib>, <cstring>, <ctime>, and <cmath>.

Practical use

Quick scans and deep dives

Example in practice

#include <vector>
#include <string_view>

int main() {
    std::vector<std::string_view> headers{"<vector>", "<ranges>", "<format>"};
    return static_cast<int>(headers.size());
}