=====erase=====
Syntax:

<code>
    #include <map>
    void erase( iterator pos );
    void erase( iterator start, iterator end );
    size_type erase( const key_type& key );
</code>

The ''erase'' method either: 

  - erases the element at ''pos'', 
  - erases the elements from ''start'' to ''end'' (but not including ''end''), 
  - or erases all elements that have the value of ''key''.

Note that the first version of ''erase'' invalidates the iterator ''pos''.

For example, the following code uses ''erase'' in a while loop to incrementally clear a map and display its contents in order:

<code>
    struct strCmp {
      bool operator()( const char* s1, const char* s2 ) const {
        return strcmp( s1, s2 ) < 0;
      }
    };

    ...

    map<const char*, int, strCmp> ages;
    ages["Homer"] = 38;
    ages["Marge"] = 37;
    ages["Lisa"] = 8;
    ages["Maggie"] = 1;
    ages["Bart"] = 10;

    while( !ages.empty() ) {
      cout << "Erasing: " << ages.begin()->first << ", " << ages.begin()->second << endl;
      ages.erase( ages.begin() );
    }
</code>

When run, the above code displays:

<code terminal>
    Erasing: Bart, 10
    Erasing: Homer, 38
    Erasing: Lisa, 8
    Erasing: Maggie, 1
    Erasing: Marge, 37
</code>


Related Topics: [[begin]], [[clear]], [[empty]], [[size]]