C++/STL Algorithms Min Max/min element

Find and print minimum elements in a vector

<source lang="cpp">

/* The following code example is taken from the book

* "The C++ Standard Library - A Tutorial and Reference"
* by Nicolai M. Josuttis, Addison-Wesley, 1999
*
* (C) Copyright Nicolai M. Josuttis 1999.
* Permission to copy, use, modify, sell and distribute this software
* is granted provided this copyright notice appears in all copies.
* This software is provided "as is" without express or implied
* warranty, and with no claim as to its suitability for any purpose.
*/

1. include <iostream>
2. include <vector>
3. include <algorithm>

using namespace std; int main() {

   vector<int> coll;
   vector<int>::iterator pos;
   // insert elements from 1 to 6 in arbitrary order
   coll.push_back(2);
   coll.push_back(5);
   coll.push_back(4);
   coll.push_back(1);
   coll.push_back(6);
   coll.push_back(3);
   // find and print minimum elements
   pos = min_element (coll.begin(), coll.end());
   cout << "min: " << *pos << endl;

} /* min: 1

*/
       
 </source>

Use min_element to get the minimum element in a container

<source lang="cpp">

/* The following code example is taken from the book

* "The C++ Standard Library - A Tutorial and Reference"
* by Nicolai M. Josuttis, Addison-Wesley, 1999
*
* (C) Copyright Nicolai M. Josuttis 1999.
* Permission to copy, use, modify, sell and distribute this software
* is granted provided this copyright notice appears in all copies.
* This software is provided "as is" without express or implied
* warranty, and with no claim as to its suitability for any purpose.
*/

1. include <cstdlib>
2. include <iostream>
3. include <vector>
4. include <deque>
5. include <list>
6. include <set>
7. include <map>
8. include <string>
9. include <algorithm>
10. include <iterator>
11. include <functional>
12. include <numeric>

/* PRINT_ELEMENTS()

* - prints optional C-string optcstr followed by
* - all elements of the collection coll
* - separated by spaces
*/

template <class T> inline void PRINT_ELEMENTS (const T& coll, const char* optcstr="") {

   typename T::const_iterator pos;
   std::cout << optcstr;
   for (pos=coll.begin(); pos!=coll.end(); ++pos) {
       std::cout << *pos << " ";
   }
   std::cout << std::endl;

} /* INSERT_ELEMENTS (collection, first, last)

* - fill values from first to last into the collection
* - NOTE: NO half-open range
*/

template <class T> inline void INSERT_ELEMENTS (T& coll, int first, int last) {

   for (int i=first; i<=last; ++i) {
       coll.insert(coll.end(),i);
   }

} using namespace std; int main() {

   deque<int> coll;
   INSERT_ELEMENTS(coll,2,8);
   INSERT_ELEMENTS(coll,-3,5);
   PRINT_ELEMENTS(coll);
   // process and print minimum 
   cout << "minimum: "
        << *min_element(coll.begin(),coll.end())
        << endl;

} /* 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 minimum: -3

*/
       
 </source>

Use min_element with criteria function

<source lang="cpp">

/* The following code example is taken from the book

* "The C++ Standard Library - A Tutorial and Reference"
* by Nicolai M. Josuttis, Addison-Wesley, 1999
*
* (C) Copyright Nicolai M. Josuttis 1999.
* Permission to copy, use, modify, sell and distribute this software
* is granted provided this copyright notice appears in all copies.
* This software is provided "as is" without express or implied
* warranty, and with no claim as to its suitability for any purpose.
*/

1. include <cstdlib>
2. include <iostream>
3. include <vector>
4. include <deque>
5. include <list>
6. include <set>
7. include <map>
8. include <string>
9. include <algorithm>
10. include <iterator>
11. include <functional>
12. include <numeric>

/* PRINT_ELEMENTS()

* - prints optional C-string optcstr followed by
* - all elements of the collection coll
* - separated by spaces
*/

template <class T> inline void PRINT_ELEMENTS (const T& coll, const char* optcstr="") {

   typename T::const_iterator pos;
   std::cout << optcstr;
   for (pos=coll.begin(); pos!=coll.end(); ++pos) {
       std::cout << *pos << " ";
   }
   std::cout << std::endl;

} /* INSERT_ELEMENTS (collection, first, last)

* - fill values from first to last into the collection
* - NOTE: NO half-open range
*/

template <class T> inline void INSERT_ELEMENTS (T& coll, int first, int last) {

   for (int i=first; i<=last; ++i) {
       coll.insert(coll.end(),i);
   }

} using namespace std;

bool absLess (int elem1, int elem2) {

   return abs(elem1) < abs(elem2);

}

int main() {

   deque<int> coll;
   INSERT_ELEMENTS(coll,2,8);
   INSERT_ELEMENTS(coll,-3,5);
   PRINT_ELEMENTS(coll);
   cout << "minimum of absolute values: "
        << *min_element(coll.begin(),coll.end(),
                        absLess)
        << endl;

} /* 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 minimum of absolute values: 0

*/
       
 </source>