7.11. Wrap-Up

This chapter explored the use of C++ Standard Library class templates array and vector to store data in and retrieve data from lists and tables of values. The chapter examples demonstrated how to declare an array, initialize an array and refer to individual elements of an array. We passed arrays to functions by reference and used the const qualifier to prevent the called function from modifying the array’s elements, thus enforcing the principle of least privilege. You learned how to use C++11’s new range-based for statement to manipulate all the elements of an array. We also showed how to use C++ Standard Library functions sort and binary_search to sort and search an array, respectively. You learned how to declare and manipulate multidimensional arrays of arrays. We used nested counter-controlled and nested range-based for statements to iterate through all the rows and columns of a two-dimensional array. We also showed how to use auto to infer a variable’s type based on its initializer value. Finally, we demonstrated the capabilities of C++ Standard Library class template vector. In that example, we discussed how to access array and vector elements with bounds checking and demonstrated basic exception-handling concepts. In later chapters, we’ll continue our coverage of data structures.

We’ve now introduced the basic concepts of classes, objects, control statements, functions and array objects. In Chapter 8, we present one of C++’s most powerful features—the pointer. Pointers keep track of where data and functions are stored in memory, which allows us to manipulate those items in interesting ways. As you’ll see, C++ also provides a language element called an array (different from the class template array) that is closely related to pointers. In contemporary C++ code, its considered better practice to use C++11’s array class template rather than traditional arrays.