Use of min and max functions in C++

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From C++, are std::min and std::max preferable over fmin and fmax? For comparing two integers, do they provide basically the same functionality?

Do you tend to use one of these sets of functions or do you prefer to write your own (perhaps to improve efficiency, portability, flexibility, etc.)?

Notes:

  1. The C++ Standard Template Library (STL) declares the min and max functions in the standard C++ algorithm header.

  2. The C standard (C99) provides the fmin and fmax function in the standard C math.h header.

Thanks in advance!

max min c c++
14 Answers

As Richard Corden pointed, use C++ functions min and max defined in std namespace. They provide type safety, and help to avoid comparing mixed types (i.e. float point vs integer) what sometimes may be undesirable.

If you find that C++ library you use defines min/max as macros as well, it may cause conflicts, then you can prevent unwanted macro substitution calling the min/max functions this way (notice extra brackets):

(std::min)(x, y)
(std::max)(x, y)

Remember, this will effectively disable Argument Dependant Lookup (ADL, also called Koenig lookup), in case you want to rely on ADL.

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