std::get_temporary_buffer in C++

Get a block of temporary memory. In C++ STL library, there is a function get_temporary_buffer which is mostly used to get a temporary block.

• This function take a size n and return the largest available buffer up to size n which can be fit into physical memory.
• This function is used to get a memory of temporary nature mostly used for the operation of an algorithm as some algorithms required extra space to perform correctly .
• Once the the memory block which is assigned is not needed anymore it shall be released by calling return_temporary_buffer .

Syntax:

pair(int*, ptrdiff_t) p = get_temporary_buffer(int)(required size)
 parameters :
n : Number of elements of type T for which 
temporary memory is allocated.
ptrdiff_t  : it is an integral type.
Return:
The function return the pair of objects first and second.
When memory is allocated the first contain the pointer to 
the first element in the block and the second contains the size .
if the memory block is not allocated then  in pair 
first contain null pointer and second 
contain zero.

Examples

1. To count the total even numbers in an array and print the sorted array using get_temporary_buffer

   Input : 8, 9, 2, 1, 10, 14, 37, 18, 17, 5
   Ootput : It contain 10 elements
           sorted array is 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 10, 14, 17, 18, 37
           step 1: initiliaze the array b[]
                   first we find the even number  elements in an array using for loop[0-n-1]
                   if(a[i]%2==0){ c++;}
                   print the count of even number.
           step 2: use get_temporary buffer to allocate the block of memory 
                   pair(int*, ptrdiff_t) p=get_temporary_buffer(int)(required size)
                   here required size is 10
           step 3: now copy the elements in the temporary buffer 
                   unitialized_copy(b, b+p.second, p.first);
                   now using for loop [0 to p.second-1] sort the array using sort function 
                   sort(p.first, p.first+p.second)
                   and finally print the sorted array.
   

   // CPP code to demonstrate the get_temporary_buffer
   // to sort an array
   
   #include <iostream>
   #include <algorithm>
   #include <memory>
   using namespace std;
   void sorting(int b[], int n)
   {
       int i, c = 0;
       for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
           if (b[i] % 2 == 0) {
               c++;
           }
       }
       cout << "The total even numbers are:  " << c << endl;
       cout << "original array :"
            << " ";
       cout << "\n";
       for (i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
           cout << b[i] << " ";
       }
       cout << "\n";
       pair<int*, ptrdiff_t> p = get_temporary_buffer<int>(10);
   
       // copy the contents in temporary buffer with pair
       uninitialized_copy(b, b + p.second, p.first);
   
       cout << "sorted array :" << endl;
       for (i = 0; i < p.second; i++) {
           sort(p.first, p.first + p.second);
           cout << p.first[i] << " ";
       }
   }
   // driver program to test above function
   int main()
   {
       int b[] = { 8, 9, 2, 1, 10, 14, 37, 18, 17, 5 };
       int n = sizeof(b) / sizeof(b[0]);
       sorting(b, n);
       return 0;
   }
   

   Output:

   The total even numbers are: 5
   original array : 
   8 9 2 1 10 14 37 18 17 5 
   sorted array :
   1 2 5 8 9 10 14 17 18 37
   

2. To sort the string alphabetically using get_temporary_buffer and return_temporary_buffer

   Input : 'b', 'g', 'y', 'v', 'p'
   Output : b g p v y 
   it will print the contents in increasing order of alphabets.
   

   
   // CPP code to sort the characters 
   // alphabetically using std::get_temporary_buffer
   #include <iostream>
   #include <algorithm>
   #include <memory>
   #include <string.h>
   using namespace std;
   void sorting(char b[], int n)
   {
       int i;
       pair<char*, ptrdiff_t> p = get_temporary_buffer<char>(n);
   
       // copy the contents in temporary buffer with pair
       uninitialized_copy(b, b + p.second, p.first);
   
       cout << "sorted characters are :" << endl;
       for (i = 0; i < p.second; i++) {
           sort(p.first, p.first + p.second);
           cout << p.first[i] << " ";
           // to release the temporary buffer
           return_temporary_buffer(p.first);
       }
   }
   // driver program to test above function
   int main()
   {
       char str[] = { 'b', 'g', 'y', 'v', 'p' };
       int c;
       c = strlen(str);
   
       sorting(str, c);
       return 0;
   }
   

   Output:

   sorted charaters are :
   b g p v y 
   

Application : Algorithms often required temporary space to perform correctly. It has very specialized purpose used internally by STL in algorithms like stable_partition, stable_sort and inplace_merge they use extra temporary memory to store intermediate results, and their run-time complexity is better if extra memory is available.

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