std::ranges:: search_n

From cppreference.com

Defined in header `<algorithm>`
Call signature
	(1)
template < std:: forward_iterator I, std:: sentinel_for < I > S, class T, class Pred = ranges:: equal_to , class Proj = std:: identity > requires std:: indirectly_comparable < I, const T * , Pred, Proj > constexpr ranges:: subrange < I > search_n ( I first, S last, std:: iter_difference_t < I > count, const T & value, Pred pred = { } , Proj proj = { } ) ;			(since C++20) (until C++26)
template < std:: forward_iterator I, std:: sentinel_for < I > S, class Pred = ranges:: equal_to , class Proj = std:: identity , class T = std :: projected_value_t < I, Proj > > requires std:: indirectly_comparable < I, const T * , Pred, Proj > constexpr ranges:: subrange < I > search_n ( I first, S last, std:: iter_difference_t < I > count, const T & value, Pred pred = { } , Proj proj = { } ) ;			(since C++26)
		(2)
template < ranges:: forward_range R, class T, class Pred = ranges:: equal_to , class Proj = std:: identity > requires std:: indirectly_comparable < ranges:: iterator_t < R > , const T * , Pred, Proj > constexpr ranges:: borrowed_subrange_t < R > search_n ( R && r, ranges:: range_difference_t < R > count, const T & value, Pred pred = { } , Proj proj = { } ) ;				(since C++20) (until C++26)
template < ranges:: forward_range R, class Pred = ranges:: equal_to , class Proj = std:: identity , class T = std :: projected_value_t < ranges:: iterator_t < R > , Proj > > requires std:: indirectly_comparable < ranges:: iterator_t < R > , const T * , Pred, Proj > constexpr ranges:: borrowed_subrange_t < R > search_n ( R && r, ranges:: range_difference_t < R > count, const T & value, Pred pred = { } , Proj proj = { } ) ;				(since C++26)

1) Searches the range

first

last

for the first sequence of count elements whose projected values are each equal to the given value according to the binary predicate pred .

2) Same as (1) , but uses r as the source range, as if using ranges:: begin ( r ) as first and ranges:: end ( r ) as last .

The function-like entities described on this page are algorithm function objects (informally known as niebloids ), that is:

Explicit template argument lists cannot be specified when calling any of them.
None of them are visible to argument-dependent lookup .
When any of them are found by normal unqualified lookup as the name to the left of the function-call operator, argument-dependent lookup is inhibited.

Parameters

first, last	-	the range of elements to examine (aka haystack )
r	-	the range of elements to examine (aka haystack )
count	-	the length of the sequence to search for
value	-	the value to search for (aka needle )
pred	-	the binary predicate that compares the projected elements with value
proj	-	the projection to apply to the elements of the range to examine

Return value

1) Returns std :: ranges:: subrange object that contains a pair of iterators in the range

first

last

that designate the found subsequence.

If no such subsequence is found, returns std :: ranges:: subrange { last, last } .

If count <= 0 , returns std :: ranges:: subrange { first, first } .

2) Same as (1) but the return type is ranges:: borrowed_subrange_t < R > .

Complexity

Linear: at most ranges:: distance ( first, last ) applications of the predicate and the projection.

Notes

An implementation can improve efficiency of the search in average if the iterators model std:: random_access_iterator .

Feature-test macro	Value	Std	Feature
`__cpp_lib_algorithm_default_value_type`	202403	(C++26)	List-initialization for algorithms

Possible implementation

struct search_n_fn
{
    template<std::forward_iterator I, std::sentinel_for<I> S,
             class Pred = ranges::equal_to, class Proj = std::identity,
             class T = std::projected_value_t<I, Proj>>
    requires std::indirectly_comparable<I, const T*, Pred, Proj>
    constexpr ranges::subrange<I>
        operator()(I first, S last, std::iter_difference_t<I> count,
                   const T& value, Pred pred = {}, Proj proj = {}) const
    {
        if (count <= 0)
            return {first, first};
        for (; first != last; ++first)
            if (std::invoke(pred, std::invoke(proj, *first), value))
            {
                I start = first;
                std::iter_difference_t<I> n{1};
                for (;;)
                {
                    if (n++ == count)
                        return {start, std::next(first)}; // found
                    if (++first == last)
                        return {first, first}; // not found
                    if (!std::invoke(pred, std::invoke(proj, *first), value))
                        break; // not equ to value
                }
            }
        return {first, first};
    }
 
    template<ranges::forward_range R,
             class Pred = ranges::equal_to, class Proj = std::identity,
             class T = std::projected_value_t<ranges::iterator_t<R>, Proj>>
    requires std::indirectly_comparable<ranges::iterator_t<R>, const T*, Pred, Proj>
    constexpr ranges::borrowed_subrange_t<R>
        operator()(R&& r, ranges::range_difference_t<R> count,
                   const T& value, Pred pred = {}, Proj proj = {}) const
    {
        return (*this)(ranges::begin(r), ranges::end(r),
                       std::move(count), value,
                       std::move(pred), std::move(proj));
    }
};
 
inline constexpr search_n_fn search_n {};

Example

Run this code

#include <algorithm>
#include <cassert>
#include <complex>
#include <iomanip>
#include <iostream>
#include <iterator>
#include <string>
#include <vector>
 
int main()
{
    namespace ranges = std::ranges;
 
    static constexpr auto nums = {1, 2, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 2, 2, 1};
    constexpr int count{3};
    constexpr int value{2};
    typedef int count_t, value_t;
 
    constexpr auto result1 = ranges::search_n
    (
        nums.begin(), nums.end(), count, value
    );
    static_assert // found
    (
        result1.size() == count &&
        std::distance(nums.begin(), result1.begin()) == 6 &&
        std::distance(nums.begin(), result1.end()) == 9
    );
 
    constexpr auto result2 = ranges::search_n(nums, count, value);
    static_assert // found
    (
        result2.size() == count &&
        std::distance(nums.begin(), result2.begin()) == 6 &&
        std::distance(nums.begin(), result2.end()) == 9
    );
 
    constexpr auto result3 = ranges::search_n(nums, count, value_t{5});
    static_assert // not found
    (
        result3.size() == 0 &&
        result3.begin() == result3.end() &&
        result3.end() == nums.end()
    );
 
    constexpr auto result4 = ranges::search_n(nums, count_t{0}, value_t{1});
    static_assert // not found
    (
        result4.size() == 0 &&
        result4.begin() == result4.end() &&
        result4.end() == nums.begin()
    );
 
    constexpr char symbol{'B'};
    auto to_ascii = [](const int z) -> char { return 'A' + z - 1; };
    auto is_equ = [](const char x, const char y) { return x == y; };
 
    std::cout << "Find a sub-sequence " << std::string(count, symbol) << " in the ";
    std::ranges::transform(nums, std::ostream_iterator<char>(std::cout, ""), to_ascii);
    std::cout << '\n';
 
    auto result5 = ranges::search_n(nums, count, symbol, is_equ, to_ascii);
    if (not result5.empty())
        std::cout << "Found at position "
                  << ranges::distance(nums.begin(), result5.begin()) << '\n';
 
    std::vector<std::complex<double>> nums2{{4, 2}, {4, 2}, {1, 3}};
    #ifdef __cpp_lib_algorithm_default_value_type
        auto it = ranges::search_n(nums2, 2, {4, 2});
    #else
        auto it = ranges::search_n(nums2, 2, std::complex<double>{4, 2});
    #endif
    assert(it.size() == 2);
}

Output:

Find a sub-sequence BBB in the ABBCDABBBA
Found at position 6

Compiler support
Freestanding and hosted
Language
Standard library
Standard library headers
Named requirements
Feature test macros (C++20)
Language support library
Concepts library (C++20)
Metaprogramming library (C++11)
Diagnostics library
General utilities library
Strings library
Containers library
Iterators library
Ranges library (C++20)
Algorithms library
Numerics library
Localizations library
Input/output library
Filesystem library (C++17)
Regular expressions library (C++11)
Concurrency support library (C++11)
Execution support library (C++26)
Technical specifications
Symbols index
External libraries

ranges::adjacent_find (C++20)	finds the first two adjacent items that are equal (or satisfy a given predicate) (algorithm function object)
ranges::find ranges::find_if ranges::find_if_not (C++20) (C++20) (C++20)	finds the first element satisfying specific criteria (algorithm function object)
ranges::find_end (C++20)	finds the last sequence of elements in a certain range (algorithm function object)
ranges::find_first_of (C++20)	searches for any one of a set of elements (algorithm function object)
ranges::includes (C++20)	returns true if one sequence is a subsequence of another (algorithm function object)
ranges::mismatch (C++20)	finds the first position where two ranges differ (algorithm function object)
ranges::search (C++20)	searches for the first occurrence of a range of elements (algorithm function object)
search_n	searches for the first occurrence of a number consecutive copies of an element in a range (function template)