std:: lexicographical_compare_three_way

Lexicographically compares two ranges [ first1 , last1 ) and [ first2 , last2 ) using three-way comparison and produces a result of the strongest applicable comparison category type.

If the return type is not one of the three comparison category types, the program is ill-formed:

• std::strong_ordering
• std::weak_ordering
• std::partial_ordering

Parameters

Return value

The value of a comparison category type specified above.

Complexity

Given \(\scriptsize N_1\) N 1 as std:: distance ( first1, last1 ) and \(\scriptsize N_2\) N 2 as std:: distance ( first2, last2 ) :

Possible implementation

template<class I1, class I2, class Cmp>
constexpr auto lexicographical_compare_three_way(I1 f1, I1 l1, I2 f2, I2 l2, Cmp comp)
    -> decltype(comp(*f1, *f2))
{
    using ret_t = decltype(comp(*f1, *f2));
    static_assert(std::disjunction_v<
                      std::is_same<ret_t, std::strong_ordering>,
                      std::is_same<ret_t, std::weak_ordering>,
                      std::is_same<ret_t, std::partial_ordering>>,
                  "The return type must be a comparison category type.");
 
    bool exhaust1 = (f1 == l1);
    bool exhaust2 = (f2 == l2);
    for (; !exhaust1 && !exhaust2; exhaust1 = (++f1 == l1), exhaust2 = (++f2 == l2))
        if (auto c = comp(*f1, *f2); c != 0)
            return c;
 
    return !exhaust1 ? std::strong_ordering::greater:
           !exhaust2 ? std::strong_ordering::less:
                       std::strong_ordering::equal;
}

Example

#include <algorithm>
#include <cctype>
#include <compare>
#include <iomanip>
#include <iostream>
#include <string_view>
#include <utility>
 
using namespace std::literals;
 
void show_result(std::string_view s1, std::string_view s2, std::strong_ordering o)
{
    std::cout << std::quoted(s1) << " is ";
    std::is_lt(o) ? std::cout << "less than ":
    std::is_gt(o) ? std::cout << "greater than ":
                    std::cout << "equal to ";
    std::cout << std::quoted(s2) << '\n';
}
 
std::strong_ordering cmp_icase(unsigned char x, unsigned char y)
{
    return std::toupper(x) <=> std::toupper(y);
};
 
int main()
{
    for (const auto& [s1, s2] :
    {
        std::pair{"one"sv, "ONE"sv}, {"two"sv, "four"sv}, {"three"sv, "two"sv}
    })
    {
        const auto res = std::lexicographical_compare_three_way(
            s1.cbegin(), s1.cend(), s2.cbegin(), s2.cend(), cmp_icase);
        show_result(s1, s2, res);
    }
}

"one" is equal to "ONE"
"two" is greater than "four"
"three" is less than "two"

Defect reports

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

See also