Why do I need to use `size_t` in C++?

Question

As a beginner, I'm really confused about size_t . I can use int , float or other types. Why still declare size_t type. I don't feel its advantages. I've viewed some pages , but I still can't understand it.

Answer 1

Its main advantage is that it's the right tool for the job.

size_t is literally defined to be big enough to represent the size of any object on your platform. The others are not. So, when you want to store the size of an object, why would you use anything else ?

You can use int if you like, but you'll be deliberately choosing the inferior option that leads to bugs. I don't quite understand why you'd want to do so, but hey it's your code.

If you choose to use float , though, please tell us what program you're writing so we can avoid it. :)

Answer 2

Using a float would be horrible since that would be a misuse of floating point types, plus type promotion would mean that multiplying the size of anything would take place in floating point!

Using a int would also be horrible since the specifics of an int are intentionally loosely defined by the C++ standard. (It could be as small as 16 bits).

But a size_t type is guaranteed to adequately represent the size of pretty much anything and certainly the sizes of containers in the C++ standard library. Its specific details are dependent on a particular platform and architecture. The fact that it's an unsigned type is the subject of much debate. (I personally believe it was a mistake to make it unsigned as it can mess up code using relational operators and introduce pernicious bugs that are difficult to spot).

Answer 3

I would advise you to use size_t whenever you want to store sizes of classes or structures or when you deal with raw memory(eg storing size of raw memory or using as an index of a raw array). However for indexing/iterating over standard containers (such as std::vector), I recommend using underlying size type of a given container(eg vector::size_type).