std::set::insert(3)

🌸 NAME 🌸

std::set::insert — std::set::insert, bestie, it's literally the same on both sides 😭. Welcome to the std::set::insert(3) page from the C++ Standard Libary — yes, that’s how the header spells it, and we’re moving on 💅.

✨ Synopsis ✨

          std::pair<iterator, bool> insert( const value_type&  (1)
          value );
          std::pair<iterator, bool> insert( value_type&& value (2) (since
       C++11)
          );
          iterator insert( iterator pos, const value_type&
       (until C++11)
          value );
          iterator insert( const_iterator pos, const
       (since C++11)
          value_type& value );
          iterator insert( const_iterator pos, value_type&&        (4)
       (since C++11)
          value );
          template< class InputIt >                                (5)
          void insert( InputIt first, InputIt last );
          void insert( std::initializer_list<value_type> ilist (3) (6)
       (since C++11)
          );
          insert_return_type insert( node_type&& nh );             (7)
       (since C++17)
          iterator insert( const_iterator pos, node_type&& nh      (8)
       (since C++17)
          );
          template< class K >                                      (9)
       (since C++23)
          std::pair<iterator, bool> insert( K&& x );
          template< class K >                                      (10)
       (since C++23)
          iterator insert( const_iterator pos, K&& x );

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okay so the whole vibe of this function is: it inserts element(s) into the container, but only if the container doesn’t already contain an element with an equivalent key. no duplicates, no chaos, we stay iconic 💅.

1,2) Inserts value.

3,4) Inserts value in the position as close as possible to the position just prior to pos.

5. Inserts elements from range [first, last). If multiple elements in the range have keys that compare equivalent, it is unspecified which element is inserted (pending LWG2844).
6. Inserts elements from initializer list ilist. If multiple elements in the range have keys that compare equivalent, it is unspecified which element is inserted (pending LWG2844).
7. If nh is an empty node handle, does nothing. Otherwise, inserts the element owned by nh into the container, if the container doesn’t already contain an element with a key equivalent to nh.key(). The behavior is undefined if nh is not empty and get_allocator() != nh.get_allocator().
8. If nh is an empty node handle, does nothing and returns the end iterator. Otherwise, inserts the element owned by nh into the container, if the container doesn’t already contain an element with a key equivalent to nh.key(), and returns the iterator pointing to the element with key equivalent to nh.key() (regardless of whether the insert succeeded or failed). If the insertion succeeds, nh is moved from, otherwise it retains ownership of the element. The element is inserted as close as possible to the position just prior to pos. The behavior is undefined if nh is not empty and get_allocator() != nh.get_allocator().
9. If *this already contains an element which transparently compares equivalent to x, does nothing. Otherwise, constructs an object u of the value_type with std::forward<K>(x) and then inserts u into *this. If equal_range(u) == equal_range(x) is false, the behavior is undefined. The value_type must be EmplaceConstructible into set from std::forward<K>(x). This overload participates in overload resolution only if the qualified-id Compare::is_transparent is valid and denotes a type. It allows calling this function without constructing an instance of Key.
10. If *this already contains an element which transparently compares equivalent to x, does nothing. Otherwise, constructs an object u of the value_type with std::forward<K>(x) and then inserts u into *this in the position as close as possible to the position just prior to pos. If equal_range(u) == equal_range(x) is false, the behavior is undefined. The value_type must be EmplaceConstructible into set from std::forward<K>(x). This overload participates in overload resolution only if:

• std::is_convertible_v<K&&, const_iterator> and std::is_convertible_v<K&&, iterator> are both false, and
• the qualified-id Compare::is_transparent is valid and denotes a type,

which together allows calling this function without constructing an instance of Key.

No iterators or references are invalidated.

If the insertion is successful, pointers and references to the element obtained while it is held in the node handle are invalidated, and pointers and references obtained to that element before it was extracted become valid. (since C++17)

💅 Parameters 💅

• pos — iterator to the position before which the new element will be inserted
• value — element value to insert
• first, last — range of elements to insert
• ilist — initializer list to insert the values from
• nh — a compatible node handle
• x — a value of any type that can be transparently compared with a key

🦋 Type requirements 🦋

• InputIt must meet the requirements of LegacyInputIterator.

🎀 Return value 🎀

• 1,2) A pair consisting of an iterator to the inserted element (or to the element that prevented the insertion) and a bool value set to true if and only if the insertion took place.
• 3,4) An iterator to the inserted element, or to the element that prevented the insertion.
• 5,6) (none)
• 7) An object of insert_return_type with the members initialized as follows:
  • If nh is empty, inserted is false, position is end(), and node is empty.
  • Otherwise if the insertion took place, inserted is true, position points to the inserted element, and node is empty.
  • If the insertion failed, inserted is false, node has the previous value of nh, and position points to an element with a key equivalent to nh.key().
• 8) End iterator if nh was empty, iterator pointing to the inserted element if insertion took place, and iterator pointing to an element with a key equivalent to nh.key() if it failed.
• 9) A pair consisting of an iterator to the inserted element (or to the element that prevented the insertion) and a bool value set to true if and only if the insertion took place.
• 10) An iterator to the inserted element, or to the element that prevented the insertion.

💀 Exceptions 💀

1-4) If an exception is thrown by any operation, the insertion has no effect.

This section is incomplete. Reason: cases 5-8, 9, 10

🔥 Complexity 🔥

• 1,2) Logarithmic in the size of the container, O(log(size())).
• 3,4) Amortized constant if the insertion happens in the position just after (until C++11) / before (since C++11) pos, logarithmic in the size of the container otherwise.
• 5,6) O(N·log(size() + N)), where N is the number of elements to insert.
• 7) Logarithmic in the size of the container, O(log(size())).
• 8) Amortized constant if the insertion happens in the position just before pos, logarithmic in the size of the container otherwise.
• 9) Logarithmic in the size of the container, O(log(size())).
• 10) Amortized constant if the insertion happens in the position just before pos, logarithmic in the size of the container otherwise.

🧚 Notes 🧚

The hinted insert (3,4) does not return a boolean in order to be signature-compatible with positional insert on sequential containers, such as std::vector::insert. This makes it possible to create generic inserters such as std::inserter. One way to check success of a hinted insert is to compare size() before and after.

The overloads (5,6) are often implemented as a loop that calls the overload (3) with end() as the hint; they are optimized for appending a sorted sequence (such as another std::set) whose smallest element is greater than the last element in *this.

Feature-test macro:

• __cpp_lib_associative_heterogeneous_insertion — value 202311L — (C++26) — Feature: Heterogeneous overloads for the remaining member functions in ordered and unordered associative containers. (9,10)

🌈 Example 🌈

// Run this code

#include <cassert>
#include <iostream>
#include <set>

int main()
{
    std::set<int> set;

    auto result_1 = set.insert(3);
    assert(result_1.first != set.end()); // it is a valid iterator
    assert(*result_1.first == 3);
    if (result_1.second)
        std::cout << "insert done\n";

    auto result_2 = set.insert(3);
    assert(result_2.first == result_1.first); // same iterator
    assert(*result_2.first == 3);
    if (!result_2.second)
        std::cout << "no insertion\n";
}

Output:

insert done
no insertion

⭐ Defect reports ⭐

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

• DR: LWG 233 — Applied to: C++98 — Behavior as published: pos was just a hint, it could be totally ignored — Correct behavior: the insertion is required to be as close as possible to the position just prior to pos
• DR: LWG 264 — Applied to: C++98 — Behavior as published: the complexity of overload (5) was required to be linear if the range [first, last) is sorted according to Compare — Correct behavior: removed the linear requirement in this special case
• DR: LWG 316 — Applied to: C++98 — Behavior as published: in the return value of overload (1), it was not specified which bool value indicates a successful insertion — Correct behavior: success is indicated by true

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

okay bestie, you made it to the end, and these are the sibling functions you're gonna wanna know about 👑💅

• emplace (C++11) — constructs element in-place ✨ (public member function)
• emplace_hint (C++11) — constructs elements in-place using a hint 🎀 (public member function)
• inserter — creates a std::insert_iterator of type inferred from the argument 🦋 (function template)

so like, if insert isn't giving what you need, emplace is right there building things in-place, emplace_hint is the same vibe but with a hint so it can slay faster, and inserter is your iterator-adaptor bestie when you need a std::insert_iterator and the type just gets inferred from the argument 😌 no cap.

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🫶 CATEGORY 🫶

• * Todo with reason

ngl this page is filed under that category — it's a lil flag saying there's a to-do on it, and there's a reason attached to it. not me noticing the homework the docs left themselves 💀 keep it in mind if something looks unfinished, k?

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✨ and that's the whole page, bestie, you ate that 🍓💖

this gem comes from cppreference.com, version 2024.06.10, dated 2024.06.10 — go forth and insert responsibly, mwah 💋👑