How do I concatenate two std::vectors?
27 Answers
I would use the insert function, something like:
vector<int> a, b;
//fill with data
b.insert(b.end(), a.begin(), a.end());
Or you could use:
std::copy(source.begin(), source.end(), std::back_inserter(destination));
This pattern is useful if the two vectors don't contain exactly the same type of thing, because you can use something instead of std::back_inserter to convert from one type to the other.
std::vector<int> first;
std::vector<int> second;
first.insert(first.end(), second.begin(), second.end());
A general performance boost for concatenate is to check the size of the vectors. And merge/insert the smaller one with the larger one.
//vector<int> v1,v2;
if(v1.size()>v2.size()) {
v1.insert(v1.end(),v2.begin(),v2.end());
} else {
v2.insert(v2.end(),v1.begin(),v1.end());
}
If you want to be able to concatenate vectors concisely, you could overload the += operator.
template <typename T>
std::vector<T>& operator +=(std::vector<T>& vector1, const std::vector<T>& vector2) {
vector1.insert(vector1.end(), vector2.begin(), vector2.end());
return vector1;
}
Then you can call it like this:
vector1 += vector2;
There is an algorithm std::merge from C++17, which is very easy to use when the input vectors are sorted,
Below is the example:
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
#include <algorithm>
int main()
{
//DATA
std::vector<int> v1{2,4,6,8};
std::vector<int> v2{12,14,16,18};
//MERGE
std::vector<int> dst;
std::merge(v1.begin(), v1.end(), v2.begin(), v2.end(), std::back_inserter(dst));
//PRINT
for(auto item:dst)
std::cout<<item<<" ";
return 0;
}
If your goal is simply to iterate over the range of values for read-only purposes, an alternative is to wrap both vectors around a proxy (O(1)) instead of copying them (O(n)), so they are promptly seen as a single, contiguous one.
std::vector<int> A{ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
std::vector<int> B{ 10, 20, 30 };
VecProxy<int> AB(A, B); // ----> O(1)!
for (size_t i = 0; i < AB.size(); i++)
std::cout << AB[i] << " "; // ----> 1 2 3 4 5 10 20 30
Refer to https://stackoverflow.com/a/55838758/2379625 for more details, including the 'VecProxy' implementation as well as pros & cons.
You can prepare your own template for + operator:
template <typename T>
inline T operator+(const T & a, const T & b)
{
T res = a;
res.insert(res.end(), b.begin(), b.end());
return res;
}
Next thing - just use +:
vector<int> a{1, 2, 3, 4};
vector<int> b{5, 6, 7, 8};
for (auto x: a + b)
cout << x << " ";
cout << endl;
This example gives output:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Using C++20 you can get rid of begin() and end() with ranges.
#include <ranges>
std::ranges::copy(vec2, std::back_inserter(vec1));
or if you want to move elements:
std::ranges::move(vec2, std::back_inserter(vec1));
I've implemented this function which concatenates any number of containers, moving from rvalue-references and copying otherwise
namespace internal {
// Implementation detail of Concatenate, appends to a pre-reserved vector, copying or moving if
// appropriate
template<typename Target, typename Head, typename... Tail>
void AppendNoReserve(Target* target, Head&& head, Tail&&... tail) {
// Currently, require each homogenous inputs. If there is demand, we could probably implement a
// version that outputs a vector whose value_type is the common_type of all the containers
// passed to it, and call it ConvertingConcatenate.
static_assert(
std::is_same_v<
typename std::decay_t<Target>::value_type,
typename std::decay_t<Head>::value_type>,
"Concatenate requires each container passed to it to have the same value_type");
if constexpr (std::is_lvalue_reference_v<Head>) {
std::copy(head.begin(), head.end(), std::back_inserter(*target));
} else {
std::move(head.begin(), head.end(), std::back_inserter(*target));
}
if constexpr (sizeof...(Tail) > 0) {
AppendNoReserve(target, std::forward<Tail>(tail)...);
}
}
template<typename Head, typename... Tail>
size_t TotalSize(const Head& head, const Tail&... tail) {
if constexpr (sizeof...(Tail) > 0) {
return head.size() + TotalSize(tail...);
} else {
return head.size();
}
}
} // namespace internal
/// Concatenate the provided containers into a single vector. Moves from rvalue references, copies
/// otherwise.
template<typename Head, typename... Tail>
auto Concatenate(Head&& head, Tail&&... tail) {
size_t totalSize = internal::TotalSize(head, tail...);
std::vector<typename std::decay_t<Head>::value_type> result;
result.reserve(totalSize);
internal::AppendNoReserve(&result, std::forward<Head>(head), std::forward<Tail>(tail)...);
return result;
}
This solution might be a bit complicated, but boost-range has also some other nice things to offer.
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
#include <boost/range/algorithm/copy.hpp>
int main(int, char**) {
std::vector<int> a = { 1,2,3 };
std::vector<int> b = { 4,5,6 };
boost::copy(b, std::back_inserter(a));
for (auto& iter : a) {
std::cout << iter << " ";
}
return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}
Often ones intention is to combine vector a and b just iterate over it doing some operation. In this case, there is the ridiculous simple join function.
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
#include <boost/range/join.hpp>
#include <boost/range/algorithm/copy.hpp>
int main(int, char**) {
std::vector<int> a = { 1,2,3 };
std::vector<int> b = { 4,5,6 };
std::vector<int> c = { 7,8,9 };
// Just creates an iterator
for (auto& iter : boost::join(a, boost::join(b, c))) {
std::cout << iter << " ";
}
std::cout << "\n";
// Can also be used to create a copy
std::vector<int> d;
boost::copy(boost::join(a, boost::join(b, c)), std::back_inserter(d));
for (auto& iter : d) {
std::cout << iter << " ";
}
return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}
For large vectors this might be an advantage, as there is no copying. It can be also used for copying an generalizes easily to more than one container.
For some reason there is nothing like boost::join(a,b,c), which could be reasonable.
For containers which offer push_back (string, vector, deque, ...):
std::copy(std::begin(input), std::end(input), std::back_inserter(output))
and
for containers which offer insert (maps, sets):
std::copy(std::begin(input), std::end(input), std::inserter(output, output.end()))
You can do it with pre-implemented STL algorithms using a template for a polymorphic type use.
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
#include <algorithm>
template<typename T>
void concat(std::vector<T>& valuesa, std::vector<T>& valuesb){
for_each(valuesb.begin(), valuesb.end(), [&](int value){ valuesa.push_back(value);});
}
int main()
{
std::vector<int> values_p={1,2,3,4,5};
std::vector<int> values_s={6,7};
concat(values_p, values_s);
for(auto& it : values_p){
std::cout<<it<<std::endl;
}
return 0;
}
You can clear the second vector if you don't want to use it further (clear() method).
Concatenate two std::vector-s with for loop in one std::vector.
std::vector <int> v1 {1, 2, 3}; //declare vector1
std::vector <int> v2 {4, 5}; //declare vector2
std::vector <int> suma; //declare vector suma
for(int i = 0; i < v1.size(); i++) //for loop 1
{
suma.push_back(v1[i]);
}
for(int i = 0; i< v2.size(); i++) //for loop 2
{
suma.push_back(v2[i]);
}
for(int i = 0; i < suma.size(); i++) //for loop 3-output
{
std::cout << suma[i];
}
Try, create two vectors and add second vector to first vector, code:
std::vector<int> v1{1,2,3};
std::vector<int> v2{4,5};
for(int i = 0; i<v2.size();i++)
{
v1.push_back(v2[i]);
}
v1:1,2,3.
Description:
While i int not v2 size, push back element , index i in v1 vector.
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