`std::span` / `gsl::span` std::span / gsl::span `std::span`

Replaces (Pointer, Length) Pairs Replaces (Pointer, Length) What for?

#include <span>

lightweight (= cheap to copy, can be passed by value)
non-owning view (= not responsible for allocating or deleting memory)
of a contiguous memory block (of e.g., std::vector, C-array, …)

`span<int>`	sequence of integers whose values can be changed
`span<int const>`	sequence of integers whose values can't be changed
`span<int,5>`	sequence of exactly 5 integers (number of values fixed at compile time)

Span vs. C-Style (Pointer,Length)

`void foo(span<int> s);`	`void foo(int* a, int n);`
well-expressed intent: `foo` accesses a sequence of ints and doesn't take ownership of memory	ambiguous semantics: does `foo` take ownership of the array (delete it afterwards)?
1 parameter per data source ⇒ easy to call correctly	2 parameters per data source ⇒ unnecessary confusion, especially when functions take multiple arrays
`foo`'s implementation can use standard library conforming interface: `empty`, `size`, range-based `for`, `begin`, `end`, …	ugly and error-prone code inside `foo` that is specific to handling arrays: 2 parameters whose values can vary independently, `nullptr`-checks, …

Using Spans Using

`#include <span>` C++20

`#include <gsl/span>` C++14 + GSL

As Parameter (Primary Use Case)

void print_ints  (std::span<int const> s);
void print_chars (std::span<char const> s);
void modify_ints (std::span<int> s);

Call With Container/Range:…

std::vector<int> v {1,2,3,4};
print_ints( v );  
std::array<int,3> a {1,2,3};
print_ints( a );  
std::string s = "Some Text";
print_chars( s );  
std::string_view sv = s;  C++17
print_chars( sv );

Call With Iterator Range:…

std::vector<int> v {1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8};
// iterator range:
print_ints( {begin(v)+2, end(v)} );  
print_ints( {begin(v)+2, begin(v)+5} );  
// iterator + length:
print_ints( {begin(v)+2, 3} );

Call With Stack-Array:…

int a[100];  
print_ints( a );

Call With Poiner & Length:…

auto n = get_number_of_elements();
auto p = get_pointer_to_memory();
print_ints( {p, n} );

A span decouples the storage strategy for sequential data from code that only needs to access the elements in the sequence, but not alter its structure.

Size & Data Access

std::span<int> s = …;
if (s.empty()) return;
if (s.size() < 1024) { … }
// spans in range-based for loops
for (auto x : s) { … }
// indexed access
s[0] = 8;
if (s[2] > 0) { … }
// iterator access
auto m1 = std::min_element(s.begin(), s.end());
auto m2 = std::min_element(begin(s), end(s));
auto m3 = std::ranges::min_element(s);  C++20

Comparing Spans

std::vector<int> v {1,2,3,4};
std::vector<int> w {1,2,3,4};
std::span s1 {v};
std::span s2 {w};
bool values_same = s1 == s2;  // true
bool memory_same   = s1.data() == s2.data();  // false

Spans From Spans

std::span<…> s = …;
auto first3elements = s.first(3);
auto last3elements  = s.last(3);
size_t offset = 2;
size_t count = 4;
auto subs = s.subspan(offset, count);
std::span<std::byte const> b = s.as_bytes();
std::span<std::byte> wb = s.as_writable_bytes();

Making Spans Making Spans Making

In C++20, std::span's template parameters can be deduced from the constructor arguments.

View Container

std::vector<int>  w {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6};
std::array<int,4> a {0, 1, 2, 3};
std::span sw1 { w };  C++20
std::span sa1 { a };
// explicit read-only view:
std::span sw2 { std::as_const(w) };
gsl::span<int>   sw3 { w };  GSL
gsl::span<int,4> sa2 { a };  
// explicit read-only view:
gsl::span<int const> sw4 { a };

View Container Subsequence View Subsequence

std::vector<int> w {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6};
                          |----.------'
std::span      s1 {begin(w)+2, 5};  C++20
std::span      s2 {begin(w)+2, end(w)}; 

gsl::span<int> s3 {begin(w)+2, 5};  GSL
gsl::span<int> s4 {begin(w)+2, end(w)};

View C-Array On Stack

int a[100];  
// auto-deduces type + size
std::span s1 { a };  C++20
// no parameter deduction
gsl::span<int>     s2 { a };  GSL
gsl::span<int,100> s2 { a };  // constexpr size

View C-Array On Heap

auto len = get_length_at_runtime();
auto p = std::make_unique<int[]>(len);  
std::span      s1 {p.get(), len};  C++20
gsl::span<int> s2 {p.get(), len};  GSL

Careful!

Span Might Outlive Memory

std::span s;
if ( … ) {
  std::vector<int> w {1,2,3,4,5};
  s = std::span(w);
} // w destroyed!
cout << s[0]; //  UNDEFINED BEHAVIOR: w's memory destroyed!

Memory Invalidation By Owner

Containers like vector might allocate new memory thus invalidating all views of it.

std::vector<int> w {1,2,3,4,5};
std::span s {w};
w.insert(begin(w), {-1,-2,0});
cout << s[0]; //  UNDEFINED BEHAVIOR: w might hold new memory

Usage Guidelines Guidelines

Primary Use Case: As Function Parameter As Function Parameter As Parameter

span decouples function implementations from the data represenation / container type
clearly communicates the intent of only reading/altering elements in a sequence, but not modifying the underlying memory/data structure
makes it easy to apply functions to sequence subranges
can almost never be dangling, i.e., refer to memory that has already been destroyed (because parameters outlive all function-local variables)
a span's target cannot invalidate the memory that the span refers to during the function's execution (unless it is done in another thread)

int foo(std::span<int const> in) { … }
std::vector<int> v {…};
foo(v);
foo({begin(v), 5});
// even passing a temporary vector is ok
// because it will outlive the view parameter:
foo(std::vector<int>{1,2,3,4});

Avoid Returning Spans Avoid Returning

easy to produce dangling spans
not always clear what object/memory the span refers to

// which parameter is the span's target?
std::span<int const>
foo(std::vector<int> const& x, std::vector<int> const& y);

// we can assume that the returned span
// refers to elements of the vector
std::span<int const> samples(std::vector<int> const& v, int n);
// however, this is still problematic:
auto s = samples(vector<int>{1,2,3,4}, 2);
//  's' is dangling - vector object already destroyed!

class Payments { …
public:
  std::span<Money const> of(Customer const&) const;
  …
};
Customer const& john = …;
Payments pms = read_payments(file1);
auto m = pms.of(john);
pms = read_payments(file2);
// depending on the implementation of Payments
// m's target memory might no longer be valid
// after the assignment

Avoid Local Span Variables Avoid As Variables

easy to produce dangling spans, because we have to manually track lifetimes to ensure that no span outlives its target
even if the memory owner is still alive, it might invalidate the memory which a span is referring to

std::vector<int> v1 {1,2,3};
std::span s {v1};
if ( … ) {
  std::string v2 = std::vector<int>{4,5,6};
  s = v2;
}
cout << s; //  v2 already destroyed!

Related …

std::string_view

Last updated: 2020-09-20