set::find

Article
07/29/2015

Returns an iterator that refers to the location of an element in a set that has a key equivalent to a specified key.

iterator find(const Key& key);

const_iterator find(const Key& key) const;

Parameters

key
The key value to be matched by the sort key of an element from the set being searched.

Return Value

An iterator that refers to the location of an element with a specified key, or the location succeeding the last element in the set (set::end()) if no match is found for the key.

Remarks

The member function returns an iterator that refers to an element in the set whose key is equivalent to the argument key under a binary predicate that induces an ordering based on a less than comparability relation.

If the return value of find is assigned to a const_iterator, the set object cannot be modified. If the return value of find is assigned to an iterator, the set object can be modified

Example

// compile with: /EHsc /W4 /MTd
#include <set>
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
#include <string>

using namespace std;

template <typename T> void print_elem(const T& t) {
    cout << "(" << t << ") ";
}

template <typename T> void print_collection(const T& t) {
    cout << t.size() << " elements: ";

    for (const auto& p : t) {
        print_elem(p);
    }
    cout << endl;
}

template <typename C, class T> void findit(const C& c, T val) {
    cout << "Trying find() on value " << val << endl;
    auto result = c.find(val);
    if (result != c.end()) {
        cout << "Element found: "; print_elem(*result); cout << endl;
    } else {
        cout << "Element not found." << endl;
    }
}

int main()
{
    set<int> s1({ 40, 45 });
    cout << "The starting set s1 is: " << endl;
    print_collection(s1);

    vector<int> v;
    v.push_back(43);
    v.push_back(41);
    v.push_back(46);
    v.push_back(42);
    v.push_back(44);
    v.push_back(44); // attempt a duplicate

    cout << "Inserting the following vector data into s1: " << endl;
    print_collection(v);

    s1.insert(v.begin(), v.end());

    cout << "The modified set s1 is: " << endl;
    print_collection(s1);
    cout << endl;
    findit(s1, 45);
    findit(s1, 6);
}

Output

The starting set s1 is:
2 elements: (40) (45)
Inserting the following vector data into s1:
6 elements: (43) (41) (46) (42) (44) (44)
The modified set s1 is:
7 elements: (40) (41) (42) (43) (44) (45) (46)

Trying find() on value 45
Element found: (45)
Trying find() on value 6
Element not found.

Requirements

Header: <set>

Namespace: std