std::inserter

Iterator library

indirectly_readable (C++20)
indirectly_writable (C++20)
weakly_incrementable (C++20)
incrementable (C++20)
is-integer-like is-signed-integer-like (C++20)(C++20)

sentinel_for (C++20)
sized_sentinel_for (C++20)
input_iterator (C++20)
output_iterator (C++20)
input_or_output_iterator (C++20)

forward_iterator (C++20)
bidirectional_iterator (C++20)
random_access_iterator (C++20)
contiguous_iterator (C++20)

Iterator primitives

input_iterator_tagoutput_iterator_tagforward_iterator_tagbidirectional_iterator_tagrandom_access_iterator_tagcontiguous_iterator_tag

(C++20)

iter_value_titer_difference_titer_reference_titer_const_reference_titer_rvalue_reference_titer_common_reference_t

(C++20) (C++20) (C++20) (C++23) (C++20) (C++20)

iterator (deprecated in C++17)
iterator_traits
incrementable_traits (C++20)
indirectly_readable_traits (C++20)

Algorithm concepts and utilities

Indirect callable concepts

indirectly_unary_invocableindirectly_regular_unary_invocable

(C++20)(C++20)

indirect_unary_predicate (C++20)
indirect_binary_predicate (C++20)

indirect_equivalence_relation (C++20)
indirect_strict_weak_order (C++20)

Common algorithm requirements

indirectly_movable (C++20)
indirectly_movable_storable (C++20)
indirectly_copyable (C++20)

indirectly_copyable_storable (C++20)
indirectly_swappable (C++20)
indirectly_comparable (C++20)

permutable (C++20)
mergeable (C++20)
sortable (C++20)

(C++20)

(C++20)

(C++26)

reverse_iterator
make_reverse_iterator (C++14)
move_iterator (C++11)
make_move_iterator (C++11)
default_sentinel_tdefault_sentinel (C++20)(C++20)
unreachable_sentinel_tunreachable_sentinel (C++20)(C++20)

front_insert_iterator
back_insert_iterator
inserter
insert_iterator
front_inserter
back_inserter
move_sentinel (C++20)

common_iterator (C++20)
counted_iterator (C++20)
basic_const_iterator (C++23)
const_iterator (C++23)
const_sentinel (C++23)
make_const_iterator (C++23)
make_const_sentinel (C++23)

Stream iterators

istream_iterator
ostream_iterator

istreambuf_iterator
ostreambuf_iterator

Iterator customization points
ranges::iter_move (C++20)
ranges::iter_swap (C++20)

Iterator operations

advance
distance
prev (C++11)
next (C++11)

ranges::advance (C++20)
ranges::distance (C++20)
ranges::prev (C++20)
ranges::next (C++20)

Range access

begincbegin (C++11)(C++14)
rbegincrbegin (C++14)(C++14)

endcend (C++11)(C++14)
rendcrend (C++14)(C++14)

sizessize (C++17)(C++20)
empty (C++17)
data (C++17)

Defined in header `<iterator>`
template < class Container > std::insert_iterator<Container> inserter( Container& c, typename Container:: iterator i ) ;		(until C++20)
template < class Container > constexpr std::insert_iterator<Container> inserter( Container& c, ranges::iterator_t <Container> i ) ;		(since C++20)

inserter is a convenience function template that constructs a std::insert_iterator for the container c and its iterator i

Parameters

c	-	container that supports an `insert` operation
i	-	iterator in c indicating the insertion position

Return value

A std::insert_iterator which can be used to insert elements into the container c at the position indicated by i

Possible implementation

template<class Container>
std::insert_iterator<Container> inserter(Container& c, typename Container::iterator i)
{
    return std::insert_iterator<Container>(c, i);
}

Example

Run this code

#include <algorithm>
#include <iostream>
#include <iterator>
#include <set>
#include <vector>
 
int main()
{
    std::multiset<int> s{1, 2, 3};
 
    // std::inserter is commonly used with multi-sets
    std::fill_n(std::inserter(s, s.end()), 5, 2);
 
    for (int n : s)
        std::cout << n << ' ';
    std::cout << '\n';
 
    std::vector<int> d{100, 200, 300};
    std::vector<int> v{1, 2, 3, 4, 5};
 
    // when inserting in a sequence container, insertion point advances
    // because each std::insert_iterator::operator= updates the target iterator
    std::copy(d.begin(), d.end(), std::inserter(v, std::next(v.begin())));
 
    for (int n : v)
        std::cout << n << ' ';
    std::cout << '\n';
}

Output:

1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 
1 100 200 300 2 3 4 5

Defect reports

The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.

DR	Applied to	Behavior as published	Correct behavior
LWG 561	C++98	the type of i was independent of `Container`	it is the iterator type of `Container`

Compiler support
Freestanding and hosted
Language
Standard library
Standard library headers
Named requirements
Feature test macros (C++20)
Language support library
Concepts library (C++20)
Diagnostics library
Memory management library
Metaprogramming library (C++11)
General utilities library
Containers library
Iterators library
Ranges library (C++20)
Algorithms library
Strings library
Text processing library
Numerics library
Date and time library
Input/output library
Filesystem library (C++17)
Concurrency support library (C++11)
Execution support library (C++26)
Technical specifications
Symbols index
External libraries

std::inserter

Parameters

Return value

Possible implementation

Example

Defect reports

See also

Navigation

insert_iterator	iterator adaptor for insertion into a container (class template)
back_inserter	creates a std::back_insert_iterator of type inferred from the argument (function template)
front_inserter	creates a std::front_insert_iterator of type inferred from the argument (function template)