std::ranges::min

Defined in header `<algorithm>`
Call signature
template< class T, class Proj = std::identity, std::indirect_strict_weak_order< std::projected<const T*, Proj>> Comp = ranges::less > constexpr const T& min( const T& a, const T& b, Comp comp = {}, Proj proj = {} );		(since C++20)
template< std::copyable T, class Proj = std::identity, std::indirect_strict_weak_order< std::projected<const T*, Proj>> Comp = ranges::less > constexpr const T min( std::initializer_list<T> r, Comp comp = {}, Proj proj = {} );		(since C++20)
template< ranges::input_range R, class Proj = std::identity, std::indirect_strict_weak_order< std::projected<ranges::iterator_t<R>, Proj>> Comp = ranges::less > requires std::indirectly_copyable_storable<ranges::iterator_t<R>, ranges::range_value_t<R>*> constexpr ranges::range_value_t<R> min( R&& r, Comp comp = {}, Proj proj = {} );		(since C++20)

Returns the smaller of the given projected elements.

1) Returns the smaller of a and b.

2) Returns the first smallest element in the initializer list r.

3) Returns the first smallest value in the range r.

The function-like entities described on this page are niebloids, that is:

Explicit template argument lists may not be specified when calling any of them.
None of them is visible to argument-dependent lookup.
When one of them is found by normal unqualified lookup for the name to the left of the function-call operator, it inhibits argument-dependent lookup.

In practice, they may be implemented as function objects, or with special compiler extensions.

Parameters

a, b	-	the values to compare
r	-	the range of values to compare
comp	-	comparison to apply to the projected elements
proj	-	projection to apply to the elements

Return value

1) The smaller of a and b, according to the projection. If they are equivalent, returns a.

2-3) The smallest element in r, according to the projection. If several values are equivalent to the smallest, returns the leftmost one. If the range is empty (as determined by ranges::distance(r)), the behavior is undefined.

Complexity

1) Exactly one comparison

2-3) Exactly ranges::distance(r) - 1 comparisons

Possible implementation

struct min_fn {
  template<class T, class Proj = std::identity,
           std::indirect_strict_weak_order<
               std::projected<const T*, Proj>> Comp = ranges::less>
  constexpr
  const T& operator()(const T& a, const T& b, Comp comp = {}, Proj proj = {}) const
  {
      return std::invoke(comp, std::invoke(proj, b), std::invoke(proj, a)) ? b : a;
  }
 
  template<std::copyable T, class Proj = std::identity,
           std::indirect_strict_weak_order<
               std::projected<const T*, Proj>> Comp = ranges::less>
  constexpr
  const T operator()(std::initializer_list<T> r, Comp comp = {}, Proj proj = {}) const
  {
    return *ranges::min_element(r, std::ref(comp), std::ref(proj));
  }
 
  template<ranges::input_range R, class Proj = std::identity,
           std::indirect_strict_weak_order<
                std::projected<ranges::iterator_t<R>, Proj>> Comp = ranges::less>
  requires std::indirectly_copyable_storable<ranges::iterator_t<R>,
                                             ranges::range_value_t<R>*>
  constexpr
  ranges::range_value_t<R> operator()(R&& r, Comp comp = {}, Proj proj = {}) const
  {
      using V = ranges::range_value_t<R>;
      if constexpr (ranges::forward_range<R>) {
          return static_cast<V>(*ranges::min_element(r, std::ref(comp), std::ref(proj)));
      }
      else {
          auto i = ranges::begin(r);
          auto s = ranges::end(r);
          V m(*i);
          while (++i != s) {
              if (std::invoke(comp, std::invoke(proj, *i), std::invoke(proj, m))) {
                  m = *i;
              }
          }
          return m;
      }
  }
};
 
inline constexpr min_fn min;

Notes

Capturing the result of std::ranges::min by reference produces a dangling reference if one of the parameters is a temporary and that parameter is returned:

int n = 1;
const int& r = std::ranges::min(n-1, n+1);
// r is dangling

Example

Run this code

#include <algorithm>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
 
int main()
{
    namespace ranges = std::ranges;
    using namespace std::string_view_literals;
    std::cout << "smaller of 1 and 9999: " << ranges::min(1, 9999) << '\n'
              << "smaller of 'a', and 'b': '" << ranges::min('a', 'b') << "'\n"
              << "shortest of \"foo\", \"bar\", and \"hello\": \""
              << ranges::min({ "foo"sv, "bar"sv, "hello"sv }, {}, 
                             &std::string_view::size) << "\"\n";
}

Output:

smaller of 1 and 9999: 1
smaller of 'a', and 'b': 'a'
shortest of "foo", "bar", and "hello": "foo"

Compiler support
Freestanding and hosted
Language
Standard library headers
Named requirements
Feature test macros (C++20)
Language support library
Concepts library (C++20)
Metaprogramming library (C++11)
Diagnostics library
General utilities library
Strings library
Containers library
Iterators library
Ranges library (C++20)
Algorithms library
Numerics library
Localizations library
Input/output library
Filesystem library (C++17)
Regular expressions library (C++11)
Concurrency support library (C++11)
Technical specifications
Symbols index
External libraries

ranges::max (C++20)	returns the greater of the given values (niebloid)
ranges::minmax (C++20)	returns the smaller and larger of two elements (niebloid)
ranges::min_element (C++20)	returns the smallest element in a range (niebloid)
ranges::clamp (C++20)	clamps a value between a pair of boundary values (niebloid)
min	returns the smaller of the given values (function template)