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prefer ranges algorithms over iterator-pair std calls (library + tests)#244

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cameroncuster merged 7 commits into
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use-ranges-algorithms
Jul 12, 2026
Merged

prefer ranges algorithms over iterator-pair std calls (library + tests)#244
cameroncuster merged 7 commits into
devfrom
use-ranges-algorithms

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@cameroncuster cameroncuster commented Jul 12, 2026

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What

Prefer the ranges:: algorithms over their iterator-pair std::
counterparts for full-range calls, across both the library and the
test suite. The rule: use ranges:: even when all() would work, unless
iterators specifically make more sense.

Conversions applied:

  • iota(all(x), v)ranges::iota(x, v)
  • unique(all(x))begin(ranges::unique(x)) (erase / == end idioms)
  • partition(all(x), pred)begin(ranges::partition(x, pred))
  • remove_if(all(x), pred)begin(ranges::remove_if(x, pred)) (erase)
  • next_permutation(all(x))ranges::next_permutation(x).found

ranges::unique / ranges::partition / ranges::remove_if return a
subrange, so begin(...) yields the iterator the erase / offset logic
needs; ranges::next_permutation returns a struct whose .found drives
the do/while.

Why

The consistency signal is the goal, not raw source length. #221
("standardize on c++20: ranges/views where shorter") used a
shorter-in-this-repo heuristic and, on that basis, reverted the
subrange-returning algos (unique / remove_if / partition) back to
iterator form. This PR intentionally revisits that for one reason:

  • The all(x) macro expands on main. When KACTL macros are
    expanded for the published notebook, all(x) becomes
    begin(x), end(x), so the iterator form unique(begin(x), end(x)) is
    actually longer than begin(ranges::unique(x)). The
    "shorter" heuristic that motivated the standardize on c++20: ranges/views and <bit> used consistently #221 revert inverts once the
    macro is gone — so the ranges:: form is the one that stays clean in
    the shipped code.
  • Consistency with existing style. The library and tests already use
    ranges:: algorithms extensively (e.g. ranges::sort everywhere);
    these conversions close the remaining full-range gaps rather than
    leaving a mix of idioms.

Scope / what is intentionally NOT changed

  • std::partial_sum and std::accumulate — no ranges::
    numeric-reduction equivalents in C++23 (ranges::fold_left would be
    longer and change the idiom: accumulate(all(v), 0)
    fold_left(v, 0, plus{})), so these stay as-is.
  • Partial-range calls (iterator sub-ranges such as
    lower_bound(begin(sa) + lo, ...), find_if(rank + begin(mat), ...),
    partition(el, er, ...), remove_if(idx + begin(upd_st), ...)) — read
    more clearly with explicit iterators.
  • Member functions named find / count — not std:: algorithms.
  • Scalar std::min / std::max.

Files

library/ (12 sites, 12 files): line_tree, mst,
offline_incremental_scc, complement_graph_ccs, calc_sieve,
calc_linear_sieve, lcs_dp, longest_palindrome_query, suffix_array (2),
suffix_array_short (iota); virtual_tree (unique); edge_cd (partition).

tests/ (10 files): bit_ordered_set, kth_smallest_pst, mode_query,
sa_sort_pairs, seg_tree_find (unique); mono_st_asserts,
offline_incremental_scc, sa_sort_pairs (iota); permutation_tree_small,
rmq_small_n (iota + next_permutation); single_matching_bs (remove_if).

Testing

Syntax-checked all affected library-checker/aizu tests locally with
clang++ -std=c++2b -fsyntax-only — all pass.

Behaviorally ran (exit 0, all asserts pass):

  • edge_cd_small_trees — exhaustive over all trees on 2–7 nodes
    (ranges::partition).
  • lca_all_methods_aizu — includes compress_tree_asserts, comparing
    compress_tree against KACTL's reference over random subsets plus the
    empty-subset edge case (ranges::unique).
  • permutation_tree_small and rmq_small_n — exhaustive over all
    permutations of size 1–8 (ranges::next_permutation(...).found,
    ranges::iota).

Convert the full-range std::iota(begin, end, v) calls to
ranges::iota(range, v). This favors the ranges algorithms already used
throughout the library and removes an all(...) macro expansion on main.

Partial-range calls (e.g. iterator sub-ranges) and std::partial_sum are
left as-is: partial_sum has no ranges equivalent, and partial ranges read
more clearly with explicit iterators.
Convert the remaining full-range std algorithm calls to their ranges::
equivalents:
- virtual_tree: unique(all(subset)) -> begin(ranges::unique(subset))
- edge_cd: partition(all(g[u]), ...) -> begin(ranges::partition(g[u], ...))

ranges::unique / ranges::partition return a subrange, so begin(...) yields
the iterator the erase / offset logic needs.

Partial-range calls (iterator sub-ranges) and std::partial_sum are still
left as-is: partial_sum has no ranges equivalent, and partial ranges read
more clearly with explicit iterators.
Apply the same "prefer ranges" convention to the test suite:
- iota(all(x), v)            -> ranges::iota(x, v)
- unique(all(x))            -> begin(ranges::unique(x)) (erase / == end idiom)
- remove_if(all(x), pred)   -> begin(ranges::remove_if(x, pred)) (erase idiom)
- next_permutation(all(x))  -> ranges::next_permutation(x).found

accumulate(all(x), ...) is left as-is: there is no ranges::accumulate in
C++23 (ranges::fold_left would change the idiom), matching how partial_sum
is left in the library.
@cameroncuster
cameroncuster merged commit a76ca2f into dev Jul 12, 2026
@cameroncuster
cameroncuster deleted the use-ranges-algorithms branch July 12, 2026 19:50
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2 participants