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Is like a vector, but is optimized to get good performance for the processing of value arrays

Definition

The valarray template is defined in the standard header <valarray>, and in the nonstandard backward-compatibility header <valarray.h>.

namespace std {
       template <class T>
       class valarray;
   }

Description

A valarray is a representation of the mathematical concept of a linear sequence of values.

It is like a vector but is designed for high speed numerics at the expense of some programming ease and general purpose use.

A simple example of creating a valarray is:

std::valarray<int> val1(10);              // valarray of ten ints with value 0
std::valarray<float> val2(8.3, 10);       // valarray of ten floats with value 8.3

Performance

Valarray has many features that make it ideally suited for use with vector processors in traditional vector supercomputers and SIMD units in consumer-level scalar processors, and also ease vector mathematics programming even in scalar computers.

Valarray Operations

Create, Copy and Destroy Operations

Operation	Effect
valarray()	Default constructor, creates an empty valarray
valarray(`size_t n`)	Creates a valarray that contains `n` elements
valarray(\c{const T	val,size_t n})	Creates a valarray with `n` elements initialized by `val`
valarray(`const T* a, size_t n`)	Creates a valarray with `n` elements initialized by the values of the elements in array `a`
valarray(\c{const valarray	va})	Copy constructor
~valarray()	Destroys all elements and frees the memory

Assignment Operations

Operation	Effect
operator =(\c{const valarray	va})	Assigns the elements of the `valarray` `va`
operator =(\c{const T	value})	Assigns value to each element of the `valarray`

Member Functions

Operation	Effect
size() `const`	Returns the actual number of elements
resize(`size_t n`)	Change the size of the valarray to `n`
min() `const`	Returns the minimum value of all elements
max() `const`	Returns the maximum value of all elements
sum() `const`	Returns the sum of all elements
shift(`int n`) `const`	Returns a new valarray in which all elements are shifted by `n` positions
cshift(`int n`) `const`	Returns a new valarray in which all elements are shifted cyclically by `n` positions
apply`(T op (T)) const`	Returns a new valarray with all elements processed by op()

Element Access

Operation	Effect
operator [ ](`size_t idx`)	Return the valarray element that has index `idx`

Transcendental Functions

Operation	Effect
abs	Absolute value of valarray elements
acos	Arc cosine of valarray elements
asin	Arc sine of valarray elements
atan	Arc tangent of valarray elements
atan2	Atan2 of valarray elements
cos	Cosine of valarray elements
cosh	Hyperbolic cosine of valarray elements
exp	Exponential of valarray elements
log	Natural logarithm of valarray elements
log10	Common logarithm of valarray elements
pow	Power of valarray elements
sin	Sine of valarray elements
sinh	Hyperbolic sine of valarray elements
sqrt	Square root of valarray elements
tan	Tangent of valarray elements
tanh	Hyperbolic tangent of valarray elements

The header also overloads operators for the valarray class.

References

Nicolai M. Josuttis: "The C++ Standard Library"

Example 1

Problem

The following program illustrates a simple use of valarrays.

Workings

#include <iostream>
#include <valarray>

using namespace std;

// print valarray
template <class T>
void printValarray (const valarray<T>& va)
{
   for (int i=0; i<va.size(); i++) 
     {
     cout << va[i] << ' ';
     }
   cout << endl;
}

int main()
{
  // define two valarrays with ten elements
  valarray<double> va1(10), va2(10);

  // assign values 0.0, 1.1, up to 9.9 to the first valarray
  for (int i=0; i<10; i++) 
  {
     va1[i] = i * 1.1;
  }

  // assign -1 to all elements of the second valarray
  va2 = -1;

  // print both valarrays
  printValarray(va1);
  printValarray(va2);

  // print minimum, maximum, and sum of the first valarray
  cout << "min(): " << val.min() << endl;
  cout << "max(): " << val.max() << endl;
  cout << "sum(): " << val.sum() << endl;

  // assign values of the first to the second valarray
  va2 = va1;

  // remove all elements of the first valarray
  va1.resize (0);

  // print both valarrays again
  printValarray(va1);
  printValarray(va2);
}

Solution

Output:

0 1.1 2.2 3.3 4.4 5.5 6.6 7.7 8.8 9.9
-1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1
min():0
max(): 9.9
sum(): 49.5
0 1.1 2.2 3.3 4.4 5.5 6.6 7.7 8.8 9.9