Writing your own STL Container

Question

Are there guidelines on how one should write new container which will behave like any STL container?

Answer 1

Here's a sequence pseudo-container I pieced together from § 23.2.1\4 Note that the iterator_category should be one of std::input_iterator_tag, std::output_iterator_tag,std::forward_iterator_tag,std::bidirectional_iterator_tag,std::random_access_iterator_tag. Also note that the below is technically more strict than required, but this is the idea. Note that the vast majority of the "standard" functions are technically optional, due to the awesomeness that is iterators.

template <class T, class A = std::allocator<T> >
class X {
public:
    typedef A allocator_type;
    typedef typename A::value_type value_type; 
    typedef typename A::reference reference;
    typedef typename A::const_reference const_reference;
    typedef typename A::difference_type difference_type;
    typedef typename A::size_type size_type;

    class iterator { 
    public:
        typedef typename A::difference_type difference_type;
        typedef typename A::value_type value_type;
        typedef typename A::reference reference;
        typedef typename A::pointer pointer;
        typedef std::random_access_iterator_tag iterator_category; //or another tag

        iterator();
        iterator(const iterator&);
        ~iterator();

        iterator& operator=(const iterator&);
        bool operator==(const iterator&) const;
        bool operator!=(const iterator&) const;
        bool operator<(const iterator&) const; //optional
        bool operator>(const iterator&) const; //optional
        bool operator<=(const iterator&) const; //optional
        bool operator>=(const iterator&) const; //optional

        iterator& operator++();
        iterator operator++(int); //optional
        iterator& operator--(); //optional
        iterator operator--(int); //optional
        iterator& operator+=(size_type); //optional
        iterator operator+(size_type) const; //optional
        friend iterator operator+(size_type, const iterator&); //optional
        iterator& operator-=(size_type); //optional            
        iterator operator-(size_type) const; //optional
        difference_type operator-(iterator) const; //optional

        reference operator*() const;
        pointer operator->() const;
        reference operator[](size_type) const; //optional
    };
    class const_iterator {
    public:
        typedef typename A::difference_type difference_type;
        typedef typename A::value_type value_type;
        typedef typename const A::reference reference;
        typedef typename const A::pointer pointer;
        typedef std::random_access_iterator_tag iterator_category; //or another tag

        const_iterator ();
        const_iterator (const const_iterator&);
        const_iterator (const iterator&);
        ~const_iterator();

        const_iterator& operator=(const const_iterator&);
        bool operator==(const const_iterator&) const;
        bool operator!=(const const_iterator&) const;
        bool operator<(const const_iterator&) const; //optional
        bool operator>(const const_iterator&) const; //optional
        bool operator<=(const const_iterator&) const; //optional
        bool operator>=(const const_iterator&) const; //optional

        const_iterator& operator++();
        const_iterator operator++(int); //optional
        const_iterator& operator--(); //optional
        const_iterator operator--(int); //optional
        const_iterator& operator+=(size_type); //optional
        const_iterator operator+(size_type) const; //optional
        friend const_iterator operator+(size_type, const const_iterator&); //optional
        const_iterator& operator-=(size_type); //optional            
        const_iterator operator-(size_type) const; //optional
        difference_type operator-(const_iterator) const; //optional

        reference operator*() const;
        pointer operator->() const;
        reference operator[](size_type) const; //optional
    };

    typedef std::reverse_iterator<iterator> reverse_iterator; //optional
    typedef std::reverse_iterator<const_iterator> const_reverse_iterator; //optional

    X();
    X(const X&);
    ~X();

    X& operator=(const X&);
    bool operator==(const X&) const;
    bool operator!=(const X&) const;
    bool operator<(const X&) const; //optional
    bool operator>(const X&) const; //optional
    bool operator<=(const X&) const; //optional
    bool operator>=(const X&) const; //optional

    iterator begin();
    const_iterator begin() const;
    const_iterator cbegin() const;
    iterator end();
    const_iterator end() const;
    const_iterator cend() const;
    reverse_iterator rbegin(); //optional
    const_reverse_iterator rbegin() const; //optional
    const_reverse_iterator crbegin() const; //optional
    reverse_iterator rend(); //optional
    const_reverse_iterator rend() const; //optional
    const_reverse_iterator crend() const; //optional

    reference front(); //optional
    const_reference front() const; //optional
    reference back(); //optional
    const_reference back() const; //optional
    template<class ...Args>
    void emplace_front(Args&&...); //optional
    template<class ...Args>
    void emplace_back(Args&&...); //optional
    void push_front(const T&); //optional
    void push_front(T&&); //optional
    void push_back(const T&); //optional
    void push_back(T&&); //optional
    void pop_front(); //optional
    void pop_back(); //optional
    reference operator[](size_type); //optional
    const_reference operator[](size_type) const; //optional
    reference at(size_type); //optional
    const_reference at(size_type) const; //optional

    template<class ...Args>
    iterator emplace(const_iterator, Args&&...); //optional
    iterator insert(const_iterator, const T&); //optional
    iterator insert(const_iterator, T&&); //optional
    iterator insert(const_iterator, size_type, T&); //optional
    template<class iter>
    iterator insert(const_iterator, iter, iter); //optional
    iterator insert(const_iterator, std::initializer_list<T>); //optional
    iterator erase(const_iterator); //optional
    iterator erase(const_iterator, const_iterator); //optional
    void clear(); //optional
    template<class iter>
    void assign(iter, iter); //optional
    void assign(std::initializer_list<T>); //optional
    void assign(size_type, const T&); //optional

    void swap(X&);
    size_type size() const;
    size_type max_size() const;
    bool empty() const;

    A get_allocator() const; //optional
};
template <class T, class A = std::allocator<T> >
void swap(X<T,A>&, X<T,A>&); //optional

Also, whenever I make a container, I test with a class more or less like this:

#include <cassert>
struct verify;
class tester {
    friend verify;
    static int livecount;
    const tester* self;
public:
    tester() :self(this) {++livecount;}
    tester(const tester&) :self(this) {++livecount;}
    ~tester() {assert(self==this);--livecount;}
    tester& operator=(const tester& b) {
        assert(self==this && b.self == &b);
        return *this;
    }
    void cfunction() const {assert(self==this);}
    void mfunction() {assert(self==this);}
};
int tester::livecount=0;
struct verify {
    ~verify() {assert(tester::livecount==0);}
}verifier;

Make containers of tester objects, and call each one's function() as you test your container. Do not make any global tester objects. If your container cheats anywhere, this tester class will assert and you'll know that you cheated accidentally somewhere.

Answer 2

You will need to read the C++ Standard section about Containers and requirements the C++ Standard imposes for container implementations.

The relevant chapter in C++03 standard is:

Section 23.1 Container Requirements

The relevant chapter in C++11 standard is:

Section 23.2 Container Requirements

The near-final draft of the C++11 standard is freely available here.

You might as well, read some excellent books which will help you understand the requirements from an perspective of user of the container. Two excellent books which struck my mind easily are:

Effective STL by Scott Meyers &
The C++ Standard Library: A Tutorial and Reference by Nicolai Josutils

Answer 3

Here is a very simplistic implementation of a fake vector, which is basically a wrapper around std::vector and has its own (but real) iterator, which mimics the STL iterator. Again, the iterator is very simplistic, skipping over many concepts like const_iterator, validity checks etc.

Code is runnable out of the box.

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <vector>

template<typename T>
struct It
{
    std::vector<T>& vec_;
    int pointer_;

    It(std::vector<T>& vec) : vec_{vec}, pointer_{0} {}

    It(std::vector<T>& vec, int size) : vec_{vec}, pointer_{size} {}

    bool operator!=(const It<T>& other) const
    {
        return !(*this == other);
    }

    bool operator==(const It<T>& other) const
    {
        return pointer_ == other.pointer_;
    }

    It& operator++()
    {
        ++pointer_;            
        return *this;
    }

    T& operator*() const
    {
        return vec_.at(pointer_);   
    }
};

template<typename T>
struct Vector
{
    std::vector<T> vec_;

    void push_back(T item)
    {
        vec_.push_back(item);
    };

    It<T> begin()
    {
        return It<T>(vec_);
    }

    It<T> end()
    {
        return It<T>(vec_, vec_.size());
    }
};

int main()
{
  Vector<int> vec;
  vec.push_back(1);
  vec.push_back(2);
  vec.push_back(3);

  bool first = true;
  for (It<int> it = vec.begin(); it != vec.end(); ++it)
  {
      if (first) //modify container once while iterating
      {
          vec.push_back(4);
          first = false;
      }

      std::cout << *it << '\n'; //print it 
      (*it)++;                  //change it
  }

  for (It<int> it = vec.begin(); it != vec.end(); ++it)
  {
      std::cout << *it << '\n'; //should see changed value
  }
}