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c++stdarray

Is std::array safely returnable

Is the below sample function safe from the caller's point of view?

std::array<T, SIZE> foo() {
    std::array<T, SIZE> bar;
    // Initialization of bar members...
    return bar;
}

I am aware that built-in arrays are not safely returnable but I am unsure if std::array is safely returnable. If it is, how is this accomplished?

Solution

  • This is fine. Returning bar from foo() makes a copy.

    std::array is a struct that has an array member. When such a struct is copied, the array is also copied. In other words, the rules differ for bare arrays and arrays contained in structs.