basic_string::find

Searches a string in a forward direction for the first occurrence of a substring that matches a specified sequence of characters.

size_type find(
    value_type _Ch, 
    size_type _Off = 0
) const;
size_type find(
    const value_type* _Ptr,
    size_type _Off = 0
) const;
size_type find(
    const value_type* _Ptr, 
    size_type _Off,
    size_type _Count
) const;
size_type find(
    const basic_string<CharType, Traits, Allocator>& _Str,
    size_type _Off = 0
) const;

Parameters

• _Ch
  The character value for which the member function is to search.

• _Off
  Index of the position at which the search is to begin.

• _Ptr
  The C-string for which the member function is to search.

• _Count
  The number of characters, counting forward from the first character, in the C-string for which the member function is to search.

• _Str
  The string for which the member function is to search.

Return Value

The index of the first character of the substring searched for when successful; otherwise npos.

Example

// basic_string_find.cpp
// compile with: /EHsc
#include <string>
#include <iostream>

int main( )
{
   using namespace std;

   // The first member function
   // searches for a single character in a string
   string str1 ( "Hello Everyone" );
   cout << "The original string str1 is: " << str1 << endl;
   basic_string <char>::size_type indexCh1a, indexCh1b;

   indexCh1a = str1.find ( "e" , 3 );
   if (indexCh1a != string::npos )
      cout << "The index of the 1st 'e' found after the 3rd"
           << " position in str1 is: " << indexCh1a << endl;
   else
      cout << "The character 'e' was not found in str1 ." << endl;

   indexCh1b = str1.find ( "x" );
   if (indexCh1b != string::npos )
      cout << "The index of the 'x' found in str1 is: "
           << indexCh1b << endl << endl;
   else
      cout << "The Character 'x' was not found in str1."
           << endl << endl;

   // The second member function searches a string
   // for a substring as specified by a C-string
   string str2 ( "Let me make this perfectly clear." );
   cout << "The original string str2 is: " << str2 << endl;
   basic_string <char>::size_type indexCh2a, indexCh2b;

   const char *cstr2 = "perfect";
   indexCh2a = str2.find ( cstr2 , 5 );
   if ( indexCh2a != string::npos )
      cout << "The index of the 1st element of 'perfect' "
           << "after\n the 5th position in str2 is: "
           << indexCh2a << endl;
   else
      cout << "The substring 'perfect' was not found in str2 ."
           << endl;

   const char *cstr2b = "imperfectly";
   indexCh2b = str2.find ( cstr2b , 0 );
   if (indexCh2b != string::npos )
      cout << "The index of the 1st element of 'imperfect' "
           << "after\n the 5th position in str3 is: "
           << indexCh2b << endl;
   else
      cout << "The substring 'imperfect' was not found in str2 ."
           << endl << endl;

   // The third member function searches a string
   // for a substring as specified by a C-string
   string str3 ( "This is a sample string for this program" );
   cout << "The original string str3 is: " << str3 << endl;
   basic_string <char>::size_type indexCh3a, indexCh3b;

   const char *cstr3a = "sample";
   indexCh3a = str3.find ( cstr3a );
   if ( indexCh3a != string::npos )
      cout << "The index of the 1st element of sample "
           << "in str3 is: " << indexCh3a << endl;
   else
      cout << "The substring 'perfect' was not found in str3 ."
           << endl;

   const char *cstr3b = "for";
   indexCh3b = str3.find ( cstr3b , indexCh3a + 1 , 2 );
   if (indexCh3b != string::npos )
      cout << "The index of the next occurrence of 'for' is in "
           << "str3 begins at: " << indexCh3b << endl << endl;
   else
      cout << "There is no next occurrence of 'for' in str3 ."
           << endl << endl;

   // The fourth member function searches a string
   // for a substring as specified by a string
   string str4 ( "clearly this perfectly unclear." );
   cout << "The original string str4 is: " << str4 << endl;
   basic_string <char>::size_type indexCh4a, indexCh4b;

   string str4a ( "clear" );
   indexCh4a = str4.find ( str4a , 5 );
   if ( indexCh4a != string::npos )
      cout << "The index of the 1st element of 'clear' "
           << "after\n the 5th position in str4 is: "
           << indexCh4a << endl;
   else
      cout << "The substring 'clear' was not found in str4 ."
           << endl;

   string str4b ( "clear" );
   indexCh4b = str4.find ( str4b );
   if (indexCh4b != string::npos )
      cout << "The index of the 1st element of 'clear' "
           << "in str4 is: "
           << indexCh4b << endl;
   else
      cout << "The substring 'clear' was not found in str4 ."
           << endl << endl;
}

The original string str1 is: Hello Everyone
The index of the 1st 'e' found after the 3rd position in str1 is: 8
The Character 'x' was not found in str1.

The original string str2 is: Let me make this perfectly clear.
The index of the 1st element of 'perfect' after
 the 5th position in str2 is: 17
The substring 'imperfect' was not found in str2 .

The original string str3 is: This is a sample string for this program
The index of the 1st element of sample in str3 is: 10
The index of the next occurrence of 'for' is in str3 begins at: 24

The original string str4 is: clearly this perfectly unclear.
The index of the 1st element of 'clear' after
 the 5th position in str4 is: 25
The index of the 1st element of 'clear' in str4 is: 0

Requirements

Header: <string>

Namespace: std

See Also

Reference

basic_string Class

strstr, wcsstr, _mbsstr, _mbsstr_l

Other Resources

basic_string Members