std::list::unique(3)

🌸 NAME 🌸

okay so bestie, this is std::list::unique — as in std::list::unique(3) — from the C++ Standard Library, and it is literally the “consecutive dupes? not on my watch” member function. It removes all consecutive duplicate elements from the container. Only the first element in each group of equal elements is left. And the important tea: it invalidates only the iterators and references to the removed elements. 💅

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✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

void unique();                                 (until C++20)
size_type unique();                            (since C++20)
template< class BinaryPredicate >      (1)                   (until C++20)
void unique( BinaryPredicate p );          (2)
template< class BinaryPredicate >                            (since C++20)
size_type unique( BinaryPredicate p );

So basically:

1. Uses operator== to compare the elements.
2. Uses p to compare the elements.

⚠️ Undefined behavior alert, no cap: the behavior is undefined if the corresponding comparator does not establish an equivalence relation. That is not a vibe you want.

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🎀 PARAMETERS 🎀

• p — a binary predicate which returns true if the elements should be treated as equal.

The signature of the predicate function should be equivalent to the following:

bool pred(const Type1 &a, const Type2 &b);

While the signature does not need to have const &, the function must not modify the objects passed to it and must be able to accept all values of type (possibly const) Type1 and Type2 regardless of value category. Thus, Type1 & is not allowed, nor is Type1 unless for Type1 a move is equivalent to a copy (since C++11). The types Type1 and Type2 must be such that an object of type list<T,Allocator>::const_iterator can be dereferenced and then implicitly converted to both of them. 🫶

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🦋 TYPE REQUIREMENTS 🦋

• BinaryPredicate must meet the requirements of BinaryPredicate.

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💖 RETURN VALUE 💖

• (none) — until C++20.
• The number of elements removed. — since C++20.

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🔥 COMPLEXITY 🔥

If empty() is true, no comparison is performed.

Otherwise, given N as std::distance(begin(), end()):

1. Exactly N-1 comparisons using operator==.
2. Exactly N-1 applications of the predicate p.

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🌈 NOTES 🌈

Feature-test macro moment:

• __cpp_lib_list_remove_return_type — value 201806L, standard (C++20), feature: “Change the return type”.

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🧪 EXAMPLE 🧪

Run this code, bestie — it’s giving main character energy:

#include <iostream>
#include <list>

std::ostream& operator<< (std::ostream& os, std::list<int> const& container)
{
    for (int val : container)
        os << val << ' ';
    return os << '\n';
}

int main()
{
    std::list<int> c{1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 2, 1, 1, 2};
    std::cout << "Before unique(): " << c;
    const auto count1 = c.unique();
    std::cout << "After unique():  " << c
              << count1 << " elements were removed\n";

    c = {1, 2, 12, 23, 3, 2, 51, 1, 2, 2};
    std::cout << "\nBefore unique(pred): " << c;

    const auto count2 = c.unique([mod = 10](int x, int y)
    {
        return (x % mod) == (y % mod);
    });

    std::cout << "After unique(pred):  " << c
              << count2 << " elements were removed\n";
}

Output 💅

Before unique(): 1 2 2 3 3 2 1 1 2
After unique():  1 2 3 2 1 2
3 elements were removed

Before unique(pred): 1 2 12 23 3 2 51 1 2 2
After unique(pred):  1 2 23 2 51 2
4 elements were removed

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🩹 DEFECT REPORTS 🩹

The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.

• LWG 1207 — applied to C++98. Behavior as published: it was unclear whether iterators and/or references will be invalidated. Correct behavior: only invalidates iterators and references to the removed elements.

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

• unique — removes consecutive duplicate elements in a range (function template).

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mwah 💋 this page is sourced from http://cppreference.com, dated 2024.06.10, and yeah bestie, it’s still std::list::unique(3) — periodt. 🌟