std::basic_ostream<CharT,Traits>::flush

 

C++

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

 

Input/output library

I/O manipulators

Print functions (C++23)

C-style I/O

Buffers

basic_streambuf

basic_filebuf

basic_stringbuf

basic_spanbuf (C++23)

strstreambuf (C++98/26*)

basic_syncbuf (C++20)

Streams

Abstractions

ios_base

basic_ios

basic_istream

basic_ostream

basic_iostream

File I/O

basic_ifstream

basic_ofstream

basic_fstream

String I/O

basic_istringstream

basic_ostringstream

basic_stringstream

Array I/O

basic_ispanstream (C++23)

basic_ospanstream (C++23)

basic_spanstream (C++23)

istrstream (C++98/26*)

ostrstream (C++98/26*)

strstream (C++98/26*)

Synchronized Output

basic_osyncstream (C++20)

Types

streamoff

streamsize

fpos

Error category interface

iostream_category (C++11)

io_errc (C++11)

 

std::basic_ostream

Global objects
coutwcout	cerrwcerr	clogwclog
Member functions
basic_ostream::basic_ostream
basic_ostream::~basic_ostream
basic_ostream::operator= (C++11)
Formatted output
basic_ostream::operator<<
Unformatted output
basic_ostream::put
basic_ostream::write
Positioning
basic_ostream::tellp
basic_ostream::seekp
Miscellaneous
basic_ostream::flush
basic_ostream::swap (C++11)
Member classes
basic_ostream::sentry
Non-member functions
operator<<(std::basic_ostream)
print(std::ostream) (C++23)
println(std::ostream) (C++23)
vprint_unicode(std::ostream) (C++23)
vprint_nonunicode(std::ostream) (C++23)

 

basic_ostream& flush();

Writes uncommitted changes to the underlying output sequence. Behaves as an UnformattedOutputFunction.

If rdbuf() is a null pointer, the sentry object is not constructed.

Otherwise, after constructing and checking the sentry object, calls rdbuf()->pubsync(). If the call returns -1, calls setstate(badbit).

Parameters

(none)

Return value

*this

Exceptions

May throw std::ios_base::failure if (exceptions() & badbit) != 0.

Example

Run this code

#include <chrono>
#include <iostream>
#include <thread>
 
using namespace std::chrono_literals;
 
void f()
{
    std::cout << "Output from thread... ";
    for (int i{1}; i != 10; ++i)
    {
        std::this_thread::sleep_for(250ms);
        std::cout << i << ' ';
 
        // output three numbers at once;
        // the effect is observable only in real-time
        if (0 == (i % 3))
            std::cout.flush();
    }
    std::cout << std::endl; // flushes as well
}
 
int main()
{
    std::thread tr{f};
    std::this_thread::sleep_for(150ms);
    std::clog << "Output from main\n";
    tr.join();
}

Output:

Output from main
Output from thread... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

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 581	C++98	flush() did not behave as an UnformattedOutputFunction because of the resolution of LWG issue 60	behaves as an UnformattedOutputFunction

See also

pubsync	invokes sync() (public member function of std::basic_streambuf<CharT,Traits>)
sync [virtual]	synchronizes the buffers with the associated character sequence (virtual protected member function of std::basic_streambuf<CharT,Traits>)
flush	flushes the output stream (function template)
endl	outputs '\n' and flushes the output stream (function template)
sync	synchronizes with the underlying storage device (public member function of std::basic_istream<CharT,Traits>)