5 Different ways to Initialize a vector in c++

In this article we will discuss different ways to initialize a vector in C++.

Creating a vector object without any initialization will create an empty vector with no elements i.e.

std::vector<int> vecOfInts;

But we generally want to initialize a vector with huge values and calling push_back() that many times to add element in vector is not an efficient and intelligent solution. So, let’s discuss how to initialize a vector in different ways,

Initializing a vector with default value of elements

Vector provides a constructor that accepts the size as an argument and initialize the vector with that many objects of default value i.e.

// Initialize vector with 5 integers
// Default value of all 5 ints will be 0.
std::vector<int> vecOfInts(5);

for(int x : vecOfInts)
	std::cout<<x<<std::endl;

Output:

0
0
0
0
0

Initialize a vector by filling similar copy of an element

Many times we want to initialize a vector with an element of particular value instead of default value. For that vector provides an overloaded constructor i.e.

vector (size_type n, const value_type& val, const allocator_type& alloc = allocator_type());

It accepts the size of vector and an element as an argument. Then it initializes the vector with n elements of value val.

Lets see an example that how to initialize a vector of std::string to 5 string objects with value “Hi”.

// Initialize vector to 5 string objects with value "Hi"
std::vector<std::string> vecOfStr(5, "Hi");

for(std::string str : vecOfStr)
	std::cout<<str<<std::endl;

 Output:

Hi
Hi
Hi
Hi
Hi

Initialize a vector with an array

In above two examples we saw how to initialize a vector with same kind of value either default value or a particular value. But what if we want to initialize a vector with an array of elements. For that vector provides an over loaded constructor i.e.

vector (InputIterator first, InputIterator last, const allocator_type& alloc = allocator_type());

It accepts a range as an argument i.e. two iterators and initializes the vector with elements in range (first, last] i.e. from first till last -1.

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We will use the same overloaded constructor to initialize a vector of string from an array of strings i.e.

// Create an array of string objects
std::string arr[] = {"first", "sec", "third", "fourth"};

// Initialize vector with a string array
std::vector<std::string> vecOfStr(arr, arr + sizeof(arr)/sizeof(std::string));

for(std::string str : vecOfStr)
	std::cout<<str<<std::endl;

Output:

first
sec
third
fourth

Initialize a vector with std::list

We will use the same overloaded constructor of std::vector to initialize a vector with range i.e.

vector (InputIterator first, InputIterator last, const allocator_type& alloc = allocator_type());

This time range will be of std::list’s iterator i.e.

// Create an std::list of 5 string objects
std::list<std::string> listOfStr;
listOfStr.push_back("first");
listOfStr.push_back("sec");
listOfStr.push_back("third");
listOfStr.push_back("fouth");

// Initialize a vector with std::list
std::vector<std::string> vecOfStr(listOfStr.begin(), listOfStr.end());

for(std::string str : vecOfStr)
		std::cout<<str<<std::endl;

Output:

first
sec
third
fourth

Initializing a vector with an other vector

Vector provides a constructor that receives other vector as an argument and initializes the current vector with the copy of all elements of provided vector i.e.

vector (const vector& x);

Lets how to initialize a vector of string with another vector of same type i.e.

std::vector<std::string> vecOfStr;
vecOfStr.push_back("first");
vecOfStr.push_back("sec");
vecOfStr.push_back("third");

// Initialize a vector with other string object
std::vector<std::string> vecOfStr3(vecOfStr);

Complete code with all 5 different ways to initialize a vector is as follows,

#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
#include <iterator>
#include <list>
#include <string>

void example1() {
// Initialize vector with 5 integers
// Default value of all 5 ints will be 0.
	std::vector<int> vecOfInts(5);

	for (int x : vecOfInts)
		std::cout << x << std::endl;

}

void example2() {
// Initialize vector to 5 string objects with value "Hi"
	std::vector<std::string> vecOfStr(5, "Hi");

	for (std::string str : vecOfStr)
		std::cout << str << std::endl;

}

void example3() {
// Create an array of string objects
	std::string arr[] = { "first", "sec", "third", "fourth" };

// Initialize vector with a string array
	std::vector<std::string> vecOfStr(arr,
			arr + sizeof(arr) / sizeof(std::string));

	for (std::string str : vecOfStr)
		std::cout << str << std::endl;

}

void example4() {
// Create an std::list of 5 string objects
	std::list<std::string> listOfStr;
	listOfStr.push_back("first");
	listOfStr.push_back("sec");
	listOfStr.push_back("third");
	listOfStr.push_back("fouth");

// Initialize a vector with std::list
	std::vector<std::string> vecOfStr(listOfStr.begin(), listOfStr.end());

	for (std::string str : vecOfStr)
		std::cout << str << std::endl;

// Initialize a vector with other string object
	std::vector<std::string> vecOfStr3(vecOfStr);

	for (std::string str : vecOfStr3)
		std::cout << str << std::endl;

}

int main() {

	example1();
	example2();
	example3();
	example4();
	return 0;
}