std::copy_backward

template< class BidirIt1, class BidirIt2 >
BidirIt2 copy_backward( BidirIt1 first, BidirIt1 last, BidirIt2 d_last );

template< class BidirIt1, class BidirIt2 >
constexpr BidirIt2 copy_backward( BidirIt1 first, BidirIt1 last, BidirIt2 d_last );

Copies the elements from the range [first, last) to another range ending at d_last. The elements are copied in reverse order (the last element is copied first), but their relative order is preserved.

The behavior is undefined if d_last is within (first, last). std::copy must be used instead of std::copy_backward in that case.

Parameters

Return value

Iterator to the last element copied.

Complexity

Exactly last - first assignments.

Notes

When copying overlapping ranges, std::copy is appropriate when copying to the left (beginning of the destination range is outside the source range) while std::copy_backward is appropriate when copying to the right (end of the destination range is outside the source range).

Possible implementation

template<class BidirIt1, class BidirIt2>
BidirIt2 copy_backward(BidirIt1 first, BidirIt1 last, BidirIt2 d_last)
{
    while (first != last)
        *(--d_last) = *(--last);
    return d_last;
}

Example

#include <algorithm>
#include <iostream>
#include <numeric>
#include <vector>
 
int main()
{
    std::vector<int> source(4);
    std::iota(source.begin(), source.end(), 1); // fills with 1, 2, 3, 4
 
    std::vector<int> destination(6);
 
    std::copy_backward(source.begin(), source.end(), destination.end());
 
    std::cout << "destination contains: ";
    for (auto i: destination)
        std::cout << i << ' ';
    std::cout << '\n';
}

destination contains: 0 0 1 2 3 4

Defect reports

The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.

See also