Initializing some elements of vector of defined size - c++

Question

Is there a way to initialize first few elements of a vector after defining the size of the vector like -
vector<int> vec (10);
This doesn't work and produces a compiler error -
vector<int> vec(10) {1,2,3};
For example with arrays we can do the same thing like -
int arr[5] {1,2,3}; // This will initialize the first 3 elements of the array to 1,2,3 and the remaining two to 0.

Answer 1

In short, no. Your can fill out the entire list of things you want to be in the vector:
vector<int> vec{1, 2, 3, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0};
Which will give you a vector of 10 elements.
Or, you can create the vector, then call resize to make it larger (filling the remaining elements with 0):
vector<int> vec{1, 2, 3};
vec.resize(10);
You generally don't need to do this kind of thing to vector though, because unlike array, you can extend vector as needed, after creation:
vector<int> vec{1, 2, 3};
vec.push_back(4);

Answer 2

There isn't a way to do it all in one line like you can with an array. You can use
vector<int> vec{1,2,3};
vec.resize(10);
but that does make the code a little less easy to use. Another option is to wrap that in a function like
template <typename T>
auto make_sized_vector(std::intializer_list<T> il, std::size_t size = 0)
{
const auto vec_size = std::max(size, il.size());
vector<T> vec; // create vector
vec.reserve(vec_size); // allocate all the storage needed
vec.assign(il); // assign the elements
vec.resize(vec_size); // set the rest to zero
return vec;
}
and then you can use that like
auto vec = make_sized_vector<int>({1, 2, 3}, 10);
If you are concerned about passing the std::intializer_list by value see why is `std::initializer_list` often passed by value? for why that really isn't a concern.

Answer 3

In case you want to initialize a vector the way you describe, all at once, so that it can become (e.g.) a const member, this is always possible in C++, with just a bit of ugliness and twisting. Let’s say you have a class:
struct SomeClass {
SomeClass(const std::vector<int> &start, int rest, std::size_t size);
const std::vector<int> some_vector_; // This is const!
};
What the constructor could look like:
SomeClass::SomeClass(const std::vector<int> &start, int rest, std::size_t size)
: some_vector_{[&start, rest, size] {
std::vector<int> some_vector;
some_vector.reserve(size);
some_vector.insert(some_vector.end(), start.begin(), start.end());
some_vector.insert(some_vector.end(), size - start.size(), rest);
return some_vector;
}()} {}
Basically the problem boils down to: How do I do “something procedural” in an initializer list? To which the answer is: You invoke a function that returns the desired type.
To test the construct above:
#include <cstdint>
#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
namespace { /* SomeClass stuff from above goes here. */ }
int main() {
SomeClass sc{{1, 2, 3}, 0, 10};
for (int i : sc.some_vector_) std::cout << i << '\n';
}
There are (of course) plenty of ways to make it (slightly) more efficient if needed, such as
a templated variadic constructor to create the initial part of the vector,
a templated perfect-forwarding constructor to benefit from R-value containers, and
as a combined benefit of the above, arbitrary iterable containers as inputs and as the const member.