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							|  |  |  |  | title: C++ Lists | 
					
						
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							|  |  |  |  | # What is a STL List?
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							|  |  |  |  | Lists in C++ are a powerful tool similar to its more well known cousin, C++ Vectors. While Vectors are a sequential container  | 
					
						
							|  |  |  |  | where elements are indexed in a continuous chain, Lists are also a sequential container but they are organized differently.  | 
					
						
							|  |  |  |  | List elements point to its next element so all elements are ordered in sequence but they don't use indexing.  | 
					
						
							|  |  |  |  | How? You may ask. They do this not by indexing but using a special tool called iterators. Iterators are like special pointers | 
					
						
							|  |  |  |  | whose job is to maintain the order of the list elements kind of like the link between two train cars. Here is a nice visual  | 
					
						
							|  |  |  |  | of how Lists are organized compared to Vectors and Arrays.  | 
					
						
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										 |  |  |  | Traversal in a list is slow as compared to Vectors and Arrays, but once a position has been found, insertion and deletion are quick. | 
					
						
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							|  |  |  |  | ## How to declare a List
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							|  |  |  |  | If you want to declare a List of Numbers you write: | 
					
						
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							|  |  |  |  | '''std::list<int> Numbers;'''  | 
					
						
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							|  |  |  |  | ## Functions used with List
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							|  |  |  |  | size() : Returns the number of elements in the list | 
					
						
							|  |  |  |  | begin() : Returns an iterator pointing to the first element of the list | 
					
						
							|  |  |  |  | end() : Returns an iterator pointing to the theoretical last element which follows the last element | 
					
						
							|  |  |  |  | push_front(data) – Adds a new element with value 'data' at the beginning of the list | 
					
						
							|  |  |  |  | push_back(data) – Adds a new element with value 'data' at the end of the list | 
					
						
							|  |  |  |  | pop_front() – Removes the first element of the list | 
					
						
							|  |  |  |  | pop_back() – Removes the last element of the list | 
					
						
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							|  |  |  |  | ## How to use these Functions
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							|  |  |  |  | Numbers.size(); |