Header Reference: <vector>

Header Reference: <vector>

The main types, operations, guarantees, and usage patterns associated with std::vector.

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.

What header pages are for

Header reference pages are meant to answer a practical question quickly: what this header provides, when to reach for it, and which usage rules are easiest to get wrong.

  • Start here when you already know roughly which header you need but want a fast operational summary.
  • Use the example section below as a minimal pattern, then adapt it to your real container, ownership, text, or concurrency workflow.
  • Jump to broader index pages when you need exhaustive coverage rather than a header-focused summary.

Header Reference: <vector>

Main type

Main facility groups

What it provides

Operational facts that matter

Complexity and invalidation summary

Example workflow

#include <vector>
#include <span>

void normalize(std::span<int> values) {
	for (int& value : values) {
		value *= 2;
	}
}

int main() {
	std::vector<int> values{1, 2, 3};
	values.reserve(6);
	values.emplace_back(4);
	normalize(values);
}

Practical rules

Nearby pages

Minimal example

#include <vector>
#include <iostream>

int main() {
    std::vector<int> values{1, 2, 3};
    values.reserve(8);
    values.push_back(4);

    for (int value : values) {
        std::cout << value << ' ';
    }
}

What to verify before relying on this header

  • Which operations invalidate iterators, references, pointers, views, or node handles.
  • Whether ordering, hashing, capacity growth, or allocation behavior affects the surrounding design.
  • Whether a non-owning view or a different container would express the real requirement more clearly.