C++ .cend()

.cend() is a member function of standard C++ containers (such as arrays, vectors, and sets) that returns a constant iterator pointing just past the last element of the container. The “c” in .cend() stands for “const”, indicating that the iterator cannot modify the elements it accesses. This function is commonly used for read-only traversal and is typically employed in range checks or for loops to define the end boundary of the container.

Syntax

array.cend();

Parameters:

This function does not take any parameters.

Return value:

Returns a constant iterator pointing just past the last element of the container.

Example: Using .cend() to Access the Last Element

This example prints the last element of the array by using .cend() and moving one step backward:

#include <iostream>
#include <array>

int main() {
  std::array<int, 2> array = {1, 2};

  // Get constant iterator just past the last element
  auto it = array.cend();

  // Move one step back to point to the last element
  std::cout << *(std::prev(it)) << "\n";

  return 0;
}

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The output of this code will be:

2

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Codebyte Example: Using .cend() to Print an Array

This codebyte creates an array and uses .cbegin() and .cend() to print all of its elements:

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