std::find, std::find_if, std::find_if_not

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< cpp‎ | algorithm
 
 
Algorithm library
Constrained algorithms and algorithms on ranges (C++20)
Constrained algorithms, e.g. ranges::copy, ranges::sort, ...
Execution policies (C++17)
Non-modifying sequence operations
(C++11)(C++11)(C++11)
(C++17)
findfind_iffind_if_not
(C++11)
Modifying sequence operations
Partitioning operations
Sorting operations
(C++11)
Binary search operations
Set operations (on sorted ranges)
Heap operations
(C++11)
Minimum/maximum operations
(C++11)
(C++17)

Permutations
Numeric operations
Operations on uninitialized storage
(C++17)
(C++17)
(C++17)
C library
 
Defined in header <algorithm>
(1)
template< class InputIt, class T >
InputIt find( InputIt first, InputIt last, const T& value );
(until C++20)
template< class InputIt, class T >
constexpr InputIt find( InputIt first, InputIt last, const T& value );
(since C++20)
template< class ExecutionPolicy, class ForwardIt, class T >

ForwardIt find( ExecutionPolicy&& policy,

                ForwardIt first, ForwardIt last, const T& value );
(2) (since C++17)
(3)
template< class InputIt, class UnaryPredicate >
InputIt find_if( InputIt first, InputIt last, UnaryPredicate p );
(until C++20)
template< class InputIt, class UnaryPredicate >
constexpr InputIt find_if( InputIt first, InputIt last, UnaryPredicate p );
(since C++20)
template< class ExecutionPolicy, class ForwardIt, class UnaryPredicate >

ForwardIt find_if( ExecutionPolicy&& policy,

                   ForwardIt first, ForwardIt last, UnaryPredicate p );
(4) (since C++17)
(5)
template< class InputIt, class UnaryPredicate >
InputIt find_if_not( InputIt first, InputIt last, UnaryPredicate q );
(since C++11)
(until C++20)
template< class InputIt, class UnaryPredicate >
constexpr InputIt find_if_not( InputIt first, InputIt last, UnaryPredicate q );
(since C++20)
template< class ExecutionPolicy, class ForwardIt, class UnaryPredicate >

ForwardIt find_if_not( ExecutionPolicy&& policy,

                       ForwardIt first, ForwardIt last, UnaryPredicate q );
(6) (since C++17)

Returns an iterator to the first element in the range [firstlast) that satisfies specific criteria (or last if there is no such iterator):

1) find searches for an element equal to value (using operator==)
3) find_if searches for an element for which predicate p returns true
5) find_if_not searches for an element for which predicate q returns false
2,4,6) Same as (1,3,5), but executed according to policy. These overloads do not participate in overload resolution unless

std::is_execution_policy_v<std::decay_t<ExecutionPolicy>> is true.

(until C++20)

std::is_execution_policy_v<std::remove_cvref_t<ExecutionPolicy>> is true.

(since C++20)

Parameters

first, last - the range of elements to examine
value - value to compare the elements to
policy - the execution policy to use. See execution policy for details.
p - unary predicate which returns ​true for the required element.

The expression p(v) must be convertible to bool for every argument v of type (possibly const) VT, where VT is the value type of InputIt, regardless of value category, and must not modify v. Thus, a parameter type of VT&is not allowed, nor is VT unless for VT a move is equivalent to a copy (since C++11). ​

q - unary predicate which returns ​false for the required element.

The expression q(v) must be convertible to bool for every argument v of type (possibly const) VT, where VT is the value type of InputIt, regardless of value category, and must not modify v. Thus, a parameter type of VT&is not allowed, nor is VT unless for VT a move is equivalent to a copy (since C++11). ​

Type requirements
-
InputIt must meet the requirements of LegacyInputIterator.
-
ForwardIt must meet the requirements of LegacyForwardIterator.
-
UnaryPredicate must meet the requirements of Predicate.

Return value

The first iterator it in the range [firstlast) satisfying the following condition or last if there is no such iterator:

1,2) *it == value is true
3,4) p(*it) is true
5,6) q(*it) is false

Complexity

Given N as std::distance(first, last):

1,2) at most N comparisons with value using operator==
3,4) at most N applications of the predicate p
5,6) at most N applications of the predicate q

Exceptions

The overloads with a template parameter named ExecutionPolicy report errors as follows:

  • If execution of a function invoked as part of the algorithm throws an exception and ExecutionPolicy is one of the standard policies, std::terminate is called. For any other ExecutionPolicy, the behavior is implementation-defined.
  • If the algorithm fails to allocate memory, std::bad_alloc is thrown.

Possible implementation

find
template<class InputIt, class T>
constexpr InputIt find(InputIt first, InputIt last, const T& value)
{
    for (; first != last; ++first)
        if (*first == value)
            return first;
 
    return last;
}
find_if
template<class InputIt, class UnaryPredicate>
constexpr InputIt find_if(InputIt first, InputIt last, UnaryPredicate p)
{
    for (; first != last; ++first)
        if (p(*first))
            return first;
 
    return last;
}
find_if_not
template<class InputIt, class UnaryPredicate>
constexpr InputIt find_if_not(InputIt first, InputIt last, UnaryPredicate q)
{
    for (; first != last; ++first)
        if (!q(*first))
            return first;
 
    return last;
}

Notes

If you do not have C++11, an equivalent to std::find_if_not is to use std::find_if with the negated predicate.

template<class InputIt, class UnaryPredicate>
InputIt find_if_not(InputIt first, InputIt last, UnaryPredicate q)
{
    return std::find_if(first, last, std::not1(q));
}

Example

The following example finds integers in given std::vector.

#include <algorithm>
#include <array>
#include <iostream>
 
int main()
{
    const auto v = {1, 2, 3, 4};
 
    for (int n : {3, 5})
        (std::find(v.begin(), v.end(), n) == std::end(v))
            ? std::cout << "v does not contain " << n << '\n'
            : std::cout << "v contains " << n << '\n';
 
    auto is_even = [](int i) { return i % 2 == 0; };
 
    for (auto const& w : {std::array{3, 1, 4}, {1, 3, 5}})
        if (auto it = std::find_if(begin(w), end(w), is_even); it != std::end(w))
            std::cout << "w contains an even number " << *it << '\n';
        else
            std::cout << "w does not contain even numbers\n";
}

Output:

v contains 3
v does not contain 5
w contains an even number 4
w does not contain even numbers

Defect reports

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

DR Applied to Behavior as published Correct behavior
LWG 283 C++98 T was required to be EqualityComparable, but
the value type of InputIt is not always T
removed the requirement

See also

finds the first two adjacent items that are equal (or satisfy a given predicate)
(function template)
finds the last sequence of elements in a certain range
(function template)
searches for any one of a set of elements
(function template)
finds the first position where two ranges differ
(function template)
searches for a range of elements
(function template)
finds the first element satisfying specific criteria
(niebloid)