std::vector<T,Allocator>::erase

iterator erase( iterator pos );

iterator erase( const_iterator pos );

constexpr iterator erase( const_iterator pos );

iterator erase( iterator first, iterator last );

iterator erase( const_iterator first, const_iterator last );

constexpr iterator erase( const_iterator first, const_iterator last );

Erases the specified elements from the container.

Invalidates iterators and references at or after the point of the erase, including the end() iterator.

The iterator pos must be valid and dereferenceable. Thus the end() iterator (which is valid, but is not dereferenceable) cannot be used as a value for pos.

The iterator first does not need to be dereferenceable if first == last: erasing an empty range is a no-op.

Parameters

Return value

Iterator following the last removed element.

Exceptions

Does not throw unless an exception is thrown by the assignment operator of T.

Complexity

Linear: the number of calls to the destructor of T is the same as the number of elements erased, the assignment operator of T is called the number of times equal to the number of elements in the vector after the erased elements.

Notes

When container elements need to be erased based on a predicate, rather than iterating the container and calling unary erase, the iterator range overload is generally used with std::remove()/std::remove_if() to minimise the number of moves of the remaining (non-removed) elements, this is the erase-remove idiom. std::erase_if() replaces the erase-remove idiom. (since C++20).

Example

#include <vector>
#include <iostream>
 
 
void print_container(const std::vector<int>& c) 
{
    for (int i : c)
        std::cout << i << " ";
    std::cout << '\n';
}
 
int main( )
{
    std::vector<int> c{0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9};
    print_container(c);
 
    c.erase(c.begin());
    print_container(c);
 
    c.erase(c.begin() + 2, c.begin() + 5);
    print_container(c);
 
    // Erase all even numbers
    for (std::vector<int>::iterator it = c.begin(); it != c.end();)
    {
        if (*it % 2 == 0)
            it = c.erase(it);
        else
            ++it;
    }
    print_container(c);
}

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 2 6 7 8 9
1 7 9

Defect reports

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

See also