std::ranges::begin, std::ranges::cbegin

 

C++

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Feature test macros (C++20)

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Concepts library (C++20)

Metaprogramming library (C++11)

Diagnostics library

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Strings library

Containers library

Iterators library

Ranges library (C++20)

Algorithms library

Numerics library

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Filesystem library (C++17)

Regular expressions library (C++11)

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Technical specifications

Symbols index

External libraries

 

Ranges library

Range access begin cbegin   end cend rbegin crbegin   rend crend size ssize   data cdata empty

Range conversions std::from_range_t std::from_range (C++23)(C++23)     to (C++23)

Dangling iterator handling dangling borrowed_iterator_t borrowed_subrange_t

Range primitives
range_size_trange_difference_trange_value_t elements_of (C++23)	iterator_tconst_iterator_tsentinel_tconst_sentinel_t (C++23)(C++23)	range_reference_trange_const_reference_trange_rvalue_reference_trange_common_reference_t (C++23)

Range concepts
range borrowed_range    sized_range	common_range view viewable_range	input_range output_range forward_range	bidirectional_range    random_access_range contiguous_range	constant_range (C++23)

Views
view_interface	subrange

Range factories
empty_viewviews::empty	single_viewviews::single	basic_istream_viewviews::istream	iota_viewviews::iota	repeat_viewviews::repeat (C++23)(C++23)

Range adaptors
views::all_tviews::all ref_view owning_view as_rvalue_viewviews::as_rvalue (C++23)(C++23)   filter_viewviews::filter transform_viewviews::transform take_viewviews::take take_while_viewviews::take_while concat_viewviews::concat (C++26)(C++26)	drop_viewviews::drop drop_while_viewviews::drop_while join_viewviews::join join_with_viewviews::join_with (C++23)(C++23)   lazy_split_viewviews::lazy_split split_viewviews::split views::counted common_viewviews::common	reverse_viewviews::reverse as_const_viewviews::as_const (C++23)(C++23) elements_viewviews::elements keys_viewviews::keys values_viewviews::values enumerate_viewviews::enumerate (C++23)(C++23) zip_viewviews::zip (C++23)(C++23) zip_transform_viewviews::zip_transform (C++23)(C++23)	adjacent_viewviews::adjacent (C++23)(C++23) views::pairwise (C++23) adjacent_transform_viewviews::adjacent_transform (C++23)(C++23) views::pairwise_transform (C++23) chunk_viewviews::chunk (C++23)(C++23) slide_viewviews::slide (C++23)(C++23) chunk_by_viewviews::chunk_by (C++23)(C++23) stride_viewviews::stride (C++23)(C++23) cartesian_product_viewviews::cartesian_product (C++23)(C++23)

Range generators std::generator (C++23)

Range adaptor closure objects range_adaptor_closure (C++23)

Range adaptor objects

Helper items
copyable-box movable-box (until C++23)  (C++23)	simple-view non-propagating-cache

 

Defined in header <ranges>
Defined in header <iterator>
inline constexpr /*unspecified*/ begin = /*unspecified*/;	(1)	(since C++20)
inline constexpr /*unspecified*/ cbegin = /*unspecified*/;	(2)	(since C++20)

Returns an object that models std::input_or_output_iterator when applied to a range.

Returns

Let t be an object of type T. ranges::begin(t) is resolved as one of the following, in order of preference.

• If t is an rvalue and ranges::enabled_borrowed_range<T> == false, then ranges::begin(t) is ill-formed.
• If t is a raw array and std::remove_all_extents_t<T> is incomplete, then ranges::begin(t) is ill-formed, no diagnostic required.
• If t is a raw array otherwise, then ranges::begin(t) is equivalent to t + 0.
• If t.begin() is a valid expression, and its return type models std::input_or_output_iterator, ranges::begin(t) is equivalent to t.begin().
• If T is a class or enumeration type and the unqualified call begin(t) is a valid expression when return type models std::input_or_output_iterator, ranges::begin(t) is equivalent to begin(t).
• ranges::begin(t) is otherwise ill-formed.

Customization point objects

The name ranges::begin denotes a customization point object, which is a const function object of a literal semiregular class type. For exposition purposes, the cv-unqualified version of its type is denoted as __begin_fn.

All instances of __begin_fn are equal. The effects of invoking different instances of type __begin_fn on the same arguments are equivalent, regardless of whether the expression denoting the instance is an lvalue or rvalue, and is const-qualified or not (however, a volatile-qualified instance is not required to be invocable). Thus, ranges::begin can be copied freely and its copies can be used interchangeably.

Given a set of types Args..., if std::declval<Args>()... meet the requirements for arguments to ranges::begin above, __begin_fn models

• std::invocable<__begin_fn, Args...>,
• std::invocable<const __begin_fn, Args...>,
• std::invocable<__begin_fn&, Args...>, and
• std::invocable<const __begin_fn&, Args...>.
  

Otherwise, no function call operator of __begin_fn participates in overload resolution.

ADL poison pill

ranges::begin also has a "poison pill" property that ensures the correct unqualified call begin(c) happens when T is a class or enumeration type. This is achieved by requiring overload resolution occur in a context where void begin(auto&) = delete; and void begin(const auto&) = delete; are visible to ranges::begin's call operator. In practice, these deleted overloads are in an inline namespace that is nested within namespace std::ranges.

See also

begincbegin (C++11)(C++14)

returns an iterator to the beginning of a container or array (function template)