min_element (STL Sample)

The sample code below illustrates how to use the min_element STL function in Visual C++.

Required Header:
<algorithm>

template<class InputIterator> inline
     InputIterator min_element(InputIterator first, InputIterator last)

Note: The class/parameter names in the prototype do not match the version in the header file. Some have been modified to improve readability.

Description:
The min_element algorithm returns the location of the minimum element in the sequence [first, last). The non-predicate version of min_element uses operator< for comparisons.

Sample Code:

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//
// Compile options needed: /GX
//
// min_element.cpp : Illustrates how to use the min_element
//                   function.
//
// Functions:
//
//    min_element - Return the minimum element within a range.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

// disable warning C4786: symbol greater than 255 character,
// okay to ignore
#pragma warning(disable: 4786)

#include <iostream>
#include <algorithm>
#include <functional>
#include <vector>

using namespace std;


void main()
{
    const int VECTOR_SIZE = 8 ;

    // Define a template class vector of int
    typedef vector<int > IntVector ;

    //Define an iterator for template class vector of strings
    typedef IntVector::iterator IntVectorIt ;

    IntVector Numbers(VECTOR_SIZE) ;

    IntVectorIt start, end, it, location ;

    // Initialize vector Numbers
    Numbers[0] = 4 ;
    Numbers[1] = 10 ;
    Numbers[2] = 10 ;
    Numbers[3] = 30 ;
    Numbers[4] = 69 ;
    Numbers[5] = 70 ;
    Numbers[6] = 96 ;
    Numbers[7] = 100 ;

    start = Numbers.begin() ;   // location of first
                                // element of Numbers

    end = Numbers.end() ;       // one past the location
                                // last element of Numbers

    // print content of Numbers
    cout << "Numbers { " ;
    for(it = start; it != end; it++)
        cout << *it << " " ;
    cout << " }\n" << endl ;

    // return the minimum element in the Numbers
    location = min_element(start, end) ;

    cout << "The minimum element in Numbers is: "
        << *location << endl ;
}

 

Program Output is:

Numbers { 4 10 10 30 69 70 96 100  }

The minimum element in Numbers is: 4