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std::binary_search

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< cpp‎ | algorithm
 
 
Algorithm library
Execution policies (C++17)
Non-modifying sequence operations
(C++11)(C++11)(C++11)
(C++17)
Modifying sequence operations
Operations on uninitialized storage
Partitioning operations
Sorting operations
Binary search operations
binary_search
Set operations (on sorted ranges)
Heap operations
(C++11)
Minimum/maximum operations
(C++11)
(C++17)
Permutations
Numeric operations
C library
 
Defined in header <algorithm>
(1)
template<class ForwardIt, class T >
bool binary_search( ForwardIt first, ForwardIt last, const T& value );
(until C++20)
template<class ForwardIt, class T >
constexprbool binary_search( ForwardIt first, ForwardIt last, const T& value );
(since C++20)
(2)
template<class ForwardIt, class T, class Compare >
bool binary_search( ForwardIt first, ForwardIt last, const T& value, Compare comp );
(until C++20)
template<class ForwardIt, class T, class Compare >
constexprbool binary_search( ForwardIt first, ForwardIt last, const T& value, Compare comp );
(since C++20)

Checks if an element equivalent to value appears within the range [first, last).

For std::binary_search to succeed, the range [first, last) must be at least partially ordered, i.e. it must satisfy all of the following requirements:

  • partitioned with respect to element < value or comp(element, value)
  • partitioned with respect to !(value < element) or !comp(value, element)
  • for all elements, if element < value or comp(element, value) is true then !(value < element) or !comp(value, element) is also true

A fully-sorted range meets these criteria.

The first version uses operator< to compare the elements, the second version uses the given comparison function comp.

Contents

[edit]Parameters

first, last - the range of elements to examine
value - value to compare the elements to
comp - binary predicate which returns ​true if the first argument is less than (i.e. is ordered before) the second.

The signature of the predicate function should be equivalent to the following:

 bool pred(const Type1 &a, const Type2 &b);

The signature does not need to have const&, but the function must not modify the objects passed to it.
The types Type1 and Type2 must be such that an object of type T can be implicitly converted to both Type1 and Type2, and an object of type ForwardIt can be dereferenced and then implicitly converted to both Type1 and Type2. ​

Type requirements
-
ForwardIt must meet the requirements of ForwardIterator.
-
Compare must meet the requirements of BinaryPredicate. it is not required to satisfy Compare

[edit]Return value

true if an element equal to value is found, false otherwise.

[edit]Complexity

The number of comparisons performed is logarithmic in the distance between first and last (At most log
2
(last - first) + O(1)
comparisons). However, for non-RandomAccessIterators, number of iterator increments is linear.

[edit]Possible implementation

First version
template<class ForwardIt, class T>bool binary_search(ForwardIt first, ForwardIt last, const T& value){ first =std::lower_bound(first, last, value);return(!(first == last)&&!(value <*first));}
Second version
template<class ForwardIt, class T, class Compare>bool binary_search(ForwardIt first, ForwardIt last, const T& value, Compare comp){ first =std::lower_bound(first, last, value, comp);return(!(first == last)&&!(comp(value, *first)));}

[edit]Example

#include <iostream>#include <algorithm>#include <vector>   int main(){std::vector<int> haystack {1, 3, 4, 5, 9};std::vector<int> needles {1, 2, 3};   for(auto needle : needles){std::cout<<"Searching for "<< needle <<'\n';if(std::binary_search(haystack.begin(), haystack.end(), needle)){std::cout<<"Found "<< needle <<'\n';}else{std::cout<<"no dice!\n";}}}

Output:

Searching for 1 Found 1 Searching for 2 no dice! Searching for 3 Found 3

[edit]Defect reports

The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.

DR Applied to Behavior as published Correct behavior
LWG 270 C++98 Compare was required to be a strict weak ordering only a partitioning is needed; heterogeneous comparisons permitted

[edit]See also

returns range of elements matching a specific key
(function template)[edit]
close