key_compare key_comp ( ) const;

Return comparison object

Returns the comparison object associated with the container, which can be used to compare two elements of the container.

This comparison object is set on object construction, and may either be a pointer to a function or an object of a class with a function call operator. In both cases it takes two arguments of the same type as the container elements, and returns true if the first argument is considered to go before the second in the strict weak ordering the object defines, and false otherwise.

In set containers, the element values are the keys themselves, therefore key_comp and its sibling member function value_comp both return the same.

Parameters

Return value

Example

// set::key_comp
#include <iostream>
#include <set>
using namespace std;

int main ()
{
  set<int> myset;
  set<int>::key_compare mycomp;
  set<int>::iterator it;
  int i,highest;

  mycomp = myset.key_comp();

  for (i=0; i<=5; i++) myset.insert(i);

  cout << "myset contains:";

  highest=*myset.rbegin();
  it=myset.begin();
  do {
    cout << " " << *it;
  } while ( mycomp(*it++,highest) );

  cout << endl;

  return 0;
}

Output:

myset contains: 0 1 2 3 4 5

Complexity

See also