std:: size, std:: ssize

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Iterator library
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(C++20)
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(C++11) (C++14)
(C++14) (C++14)
(C++11) (C++14)
(C++14) (C++14)
size ssize
(C++17) (C++20)
(C++17)
(C++17)
Defined in header <array>
Defined in header <deque>
Defined in header <flat_map>
Defined in header <flat_set>
Defined in header <forward_list>
Defined in header <inplace_vector>
Defined in header <iterator>
Defined in header <list>
Defined in header <map>
Defined in header <regex>
Defined in header <set>
Defined in header <span>
Defined in header <string>
Defined in header <string_view>
Defined in header <unordered_map>
Defined in header <unordered_set>
Defined in header <vector>
template < class C >
constexpr auto size ( const C & c ) - > decltype ( c. size ( ) ) ;
(1) (since C++17)
template < class C >

constexpr auto ssize ( const C & c )
- > std:: common_type_t < std:: ptrdiff_t ,

std:: make_signed_t < decltype ( c. size ( ) ) >> ;
(2) (since C++20)
template < class T, std:: size_t N >
constexpr std:: size_t size ( const T ( & array ) [ N ] ) noexcept ;
(3) (since C++17)
template < class T, std:: ptrdiff_t N >
constexpr std:: ptrdiff_t ssize ( const T ( & array ) [ N ] ) noexcept ;
(4) (since C++20)

Returns the size of the given range.

1,2) Returns c. size ( ) , converted to the return type if necessary.
3,4) Returns N .

Parameters

c - a container or view with a size member function
array - an array of arbitrary type

Return value

1) c. size ( )
2) static_cast < std:: common_type_t < std:: ptrdiff_t ,
std:: make_signed_t < decltype ( c. size ( ) ) >>> ( c. size ( ) )
3,4) N

Exceptions

1,2) May throw implementation-defined exceptions.

Overloads

Custom overloads of size may be provided for classes and enumerations that do not expose a suitable size() member function, yet can be detected.

Overloads of size found by argument-dependent lookup can be used to customize the behavior of std :: ranges:: size , std :: ranges:: ssize , and std :: ranges:: empty .

(since C++20)

Possible implementation

size (1)
template<class C>
constexpr auto size(const C& c) -> decltype(c.size())
{
    return c.size();
}
ssize (2)
template<class C>
constexpr auto ssize(const C& c)
    -> std::common_type_t<std::ptrdiff_t,
                          std::make_signed_t<decltype(c.size())>>
{
    using R = std::common_type_t<std::ptrdiff_t,
                                 std::make_signed_t<decltype(c.size())>>;
    return static_cast<R>(c.size());
}
size (3)
template<class T, std::size_t N>
constexpr std::size_t size(const T (&array)[N]) noexcept
{
    return N;
}
ssize (4)
template<class T, std::ptrdiff_t N>
constexpr std::ptrdiff_t ssize(const T (&array)[N]) noexcept
{
    return N;
}

Notes

Feature-test macro Value Std Feature
__cpp_lib_nonmember_container_access 201411L (C++17) std::size() , std::data and std::empty
__cpp_lib_ssize 201902L (C++20) std::ssize() ( 2,4 ) and unsigned std::span::size()

Example

#include <cassert>
#include <cstring>
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
 
int main()
{
    // Works with containers
    std::vector<int> v{3, 1, 4};
    assert(std::size(v) == 3);
 
    // And works with built-in arrays too
    int a[]{-5, 10, 15};
    // Returns the number of elements (not bytes) as opposed to sizeof
    assert(std::size(a) == 3);
    std::cout << "size of a[]: " << sizeof a << '\n'; // 12, if sizeof(int) == 4
 
    // Provides a safe way (compared to sizeof) of getting string buffer size
    const char str[] = "12345";
    // These are fine and give the correct result
    assert(std::size(str) == 6);
    assert(sizeof(str) == 6);
 
    // But use of sizeof here is a common source of bugs
    const char* str_decayed = "12345";
    // std::cout << std::size(str_decayed) << '\n'; // Usefully fails to compile
    std::cout << sizeof(str_decayed) << '\n'; // Prints the size of the pointer!
 
    // Since C++20 the signed size (std::ssize) is available
    auto i = std::ssize(v);
    for (--i; i != -1; --i)
        std::cout << v[i] << (i ? ' ' : '\n');
    assert(i == -1);
 
    // Note that the string literal includes the ending null character, which
    // will be part of the constructed characters array. This makes std::size
    // behave differently from std::strlen and std::string::size:
    constexpr char symbols[] = "0123456789";
 
    static_assert(std::size(symbols) == 11);
    static_assert(std::string(symbols).size() == 10);
    assert(std::strlen(symbols) == 10);
}

Possible output:

size of a[]: 12
8
4 1 3

See also

signed integer type returned when subtracting two pointers
(typedef)
unsigned integer type returned by the sizeof operator
(typedef)
returns an integer equal to the size of a range
(customization point object)
returns a signed integer equal to the size of a range
(customization point object)