std::minmax

Header: <algorithm>

Returns the lowest and the greatest of the given values.

# Declarations

template< class T >
std::pair<const T&, const T&> minmax( const T& a, const T& b );

(since C++11) (constexpr since C++14)

template< class T, class Compare >
std::pair<const T&, const T&> minmax( const T& a, const T& b,
Compare comp );

(since C++11) (constexpr since C++14)

template< class T >
std::pair<T, T> minmax( std::initializer_list<T> ilist );

(since C++11) (constexpr since C++14)

template< class T, class Compare >
std::pair<T, T> minmax( std::initializer_list<T> ilist,
Compare comp );

(since C++11) (constexpr since C++14)

# Parameters

• a, b: the values to compare
• ilist: initializer list with the values to compare
• comp: comparison function object (i.e. an object that satisfies the requirements of Compare) which returns true if the first argument is less than the second. The signature of the comparison function should be equivalent to the following: bool cmp(const Type1& a, const Type2& b); While the signature does not need to have const&, the function must not modify the objects passed to it and must be able to accept all values of type (possibly const) Type1 and Type2 regardless of value category (thus, Type1& is not allowed, nor is Type1 unless for Type1 a move is equivalent to a copy(since C++11)). The types Type1 and Type2 must be such that an object of type T can be implicitly converted to both of them.

# Notes

For overloads (1,2), if one of the parameters is a temporary, the reference returned becomes a dangling reference at the end of the full expression that contains the call to minmax:

# Example

#include <algorithm>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <ctime>
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
 
int main()
{
    std::vector<int> v{3, 1, 4, 1, 5, 9, 2, 6};
    std::srand(std::time(0));
    std::pair<int, int> bounds = std::minmax(std::rand() % v.size(),
                                             std::rand() % v.size());
 
    std::cout << "v[" << bounds.first << "," << bounds.second << "]: ";
    for (int i = bounds.first; i < bounds.second; ++i)
        std::cout << v[i] << ' ';
    std::cout << '\n';
}

# Defect reports

# See also

• min
• max
• minmax_element
• ranges::minmax