=====C++ Standard Template Library=====

The C++ STL (Standard Template Library) is a generic collection of class
templates and algorithms that allow programmers to easily implement standard
data structures like queues, lists and stacks.

====STL Containers====

The C++ STL provides two kinds of containers:

  * Sequence Containers
    * [[stl/vector/|C++ Vectors]]
    * [[stl/list/|C++ Lists]]
    * [[stl/deque/|C++ Double-Ended Queues]]
  * Associative Containers
    * [[stl/map/|C++ Maps]]
    * [[stl/multimap/|C++ Multimaps]]
    * [[stl/set/|C++ Sets]]
    * [[stl/multiset/|C++ Multisets]]

\\ 
In addition, the C++ standard library provides several non-STL containers.\\ 
They can be considered containers, but don't meet all the requirements of STL containers.

  * Container Adapters
    * [[stl/stack/|C++ Stacks]]
    * [[stl/queue/|C++ Queues]]
    * [[stl/priority_queue/|C++ Priority Queues]]
  * Others
    * [[stl/bitset/|C++ Bitsets]]
    * [[valarray/|C++ Valarrays]]



\\ 
The idea behind the C++ STL is that the hard part of using complex data
structures has already been completed. If a programmer would like to use a
stack of integers, all one has to do is use this code:

<code>
  stack<int> myStack;
</code>

With minimal effort, one can now [[stl/stack/push]] and
[[stl/stack/pop]] integers onto this stack.  Through the magic of C++
Templates, one could specify any data type, not just integers. The STL
Stack class will provide generic functionality of a stack, regardless
of the data in the stack.

====Algorithms====

In addition, the STL also provides a bunch of useful
[[stl/algorithm/|algorithms]] -- such as [[stl/algorithm/binary_search]],
[[stl/algorithm/sort]], and [[stl/algorithm/for_each]] -- that can
be  used on a variety of containers or data structures.

====Iterators====

[[stl/iterators]] provide a generic way of iterating over the STL containers or other data structures.


====Function Objects====

The [[stl/functional/|<functional> header file]] defines function objects and function adapters.

====Memory====

The [[stl/memory/|<memory> header file]] provides simple memory management structures like [[stl/memory/auto_ptr]].

====Utility====

There are several generic utility methods like [[stl/utility/make_pair]] in the [[stl/utility/|<utility> header file]].