std::ranges::less

struct less;

Function object for performing comparisons. Deduces the parameter types of the function call operator from the arguments (but not the return type).

Implementation-defined strict total order over pointers

The function call operator yields the implementation-defined strict total order over pointers if the < operator between arguments invokes a built-in comparison operator for a pointer, even if the built-in < operator does not.

The implementation-defined strict total order is consistent with the partial order imposed by built-in comparison operators (<=>, <, >, <=, and >=), and consistent among following standard function objects:

• std::less, std::greater, std::less_equal, and std::greater_equal, when the template argument is a pointer type or void
• std::ranges::equal_to, std::ranges::not_equal_to, std::ranges::less, std::ranges::greater, std::ranges::less_equal, std::ranges::greater_equal, and std::compare_three_way

Member types

Member functions

std::ranges::less::operator()

template< class T, class U >
    requires std::totally_ordered_with<T, U> // with different semantic requirements
constexpr bool operator()(T&& t, U&& u) const;

Compares t and u, equivalent to return std::forward<T>(t) < std::forward<U>(u);, except when that expression resolves to a call to a built-in operator< comparing pointers.

When a call would not invoke a built-in operator comparing pointers, the behavior is undefined if std::totally_ordered_with<T, U> is not modeled.

When a call would invoke a built-in operator comparing pointers of type P, the result is instead determined as follows:

• Returns true if the (possibly converted) value of the first argument precedes the (possibly converted) value of the second argument in the implementation-defined strict total ordering over all pointer values of type P. This strict total ordering is consistent with the partial order imposed by the built-in operators <, >, <=, and >=.
• Otherwise, returns false.

The behavior is undefined unless the conversion sequences from both T and U to P are equality-preserving.

Equality preservation

Expressions declared in requires-expressions of the standard library concepts are required to be equality-preserving (except where stated otherwise).

Notes

Unlike std::less, std::ranges::less requires all six comparison operators <, <=, >, >=, == and != to be valid (via the totally_ordered_with constraint).

Example

Defect reports

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

See also