C++ STL Containers Cheat Sheet for Competitive

Programming
I've created a comprehensive cheat sheet covering all essential C++ STL containers. This guide
is structured as a quick reference that you can use during competitive programming contests. [1]
[2] [3] [4]

Key Features of the Cheat Sheet:

Complete Container Coverage: All major STL containers including sequence containers (vector,
deque, list, forward_list, array), container adaptors (stack, queue, priority_queue), associative
containers (set, map, multiset, multimap), and unordered containers. [2] [3]
Syntax-First Approach: Each container section starts with declaration syntax, followed by the
most important operations with their time complexities. [3] [5] [6] [1]
Competitive Programming Focus: Includes specific tips for competitive programming like fast
I/O setup, useful typedefs, and common patterns you'll encounter in contests. [7] [3]
Algorithm Integration: Covers essential STL algorithms like sort, binary_search, lower_bound,
upper_bound that work seamlessly with containers. [8] [9] [10]
Iterator Usage: Comprehensive iterator reference showing how to traverse and manipulate
containers efficiently. [11] [12] [13]
When to Use What: Clear guidance on choosing the right container for specific use cases based
on your algorithmic needs. [14] [3]

Structure Overview:
1. Headers: All necessary includes in one place
2. Sequence Containers: Vector, deque, list, forward_list, array
3. Container Adaptors: Stack, queue, priority_queue
4. Associative Containers: Set, map, multiset, multimap
5. Unordered Containers: Hash-based alternatives
6. Iterators: Complete reference for navigation
7. Algorithms: Essential searching and sorting functions
8. Competitive Programming Tips: Performance optimizations and patterns
Each container section includes:
 Declaration and initialization syntax
Access methods with time complexity
Modification operations
Size and capacity functions
Special operations unique to that container
The cheat sheet emphasizes the most frequently used operations in competitive programming
while maintaining completeness. It's designed to be a quick reference during contests when you
need to quickly recall syntax or choose the optimal container for a specific problem.
⁂

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