Introducing the Standard Library Algorithms

Integrating the standard library algorithms into your C++ vocabulary is important. In this introduction, we will present a set of common problems that can be solved effectively by using standard library algorithms. C++20 comes with a dramatic change to the Algorithm library by the introduction of the Ranges library and the language feature of C++ concepts. So, before we start, we need a brief background of the history of the C++ standard library.

Evolution of the standard library algorithms

As we have probably heard about STL algorithms or STL containers. And hopefully, about the new Ranges library introduced with C++20. There have been a lot of additions to the standard library in C++20. And before going further, We need to clear up some terminology. We’ll start with the STL.

The STL, or the Standard Template Library, was initially the name of a library added to the C++ standard library in the 1990s. It contained algorithms, containers, iterators, and function objects. The name has been sticky, and we have become accustomed to hearing and talking about the STL algorithms and containers.