Subscripting

The built-in subscript operator ([ ]) is a binary operator. Before C++23, you had to overload the subscript operator (operator[]) by using a nonstatic subscript operator member function. In C++23 and later, you can also overload it by using a static subscript operator member function. For more information, see Static subscript operator.

The argument can be any type and designates the desired array subscript.

Example

The following example demonstrates how to create a vector of type int that implements bounds checking:

// subscripting.cpp
// compile with: /EHsc
#include <iostream>

using namespace std;
class IntVector {
public:
   IntVector( int cElements );
   ~IntVector() { delete [] _iElements; }
   int& operator[](int nSubscript);
private:
   int *_iElements;
   int _iUpperBound;
};

// Construct an IntVector.
IntVector::IntVector( int cElements ) {
   _iElements = new int[cElements];
   _iUpperBound = cElements;
}

// Subscript operator for IntVector.
int& IntVector::operator[](int nSubscript) {
   static int iErr = -1;

   if( nSubscript >= 0 && nSubscript < _iUpperBound )
      return _iElements[nSubscript];
   else {
      clog << "Array bounds violation." << endl;
      return iErr;
   }
}

// Test the IntVector class.
int main() {
   IntVector v( 10 );
   int i;

   for( i = 0; i <= 10; ++i )
      v[i] = i;

   v[3] = v[9];

   for ( i = 0; i <= 10; ++i )
      cout << "Element: [" << i << "] = " << v[i] << endl;
}

Array bounds violation.
Element: [0] = 0
Element: [1] = 1
Element: [2] = 2
Element: [3] = 9
Element: [4] = 4
Element: [5] = 5
Element: [6] = 6
Element: [7] = 7
Element: [8] = 8
Element: [9] = 9
Array bounds violation.
Element: [10] = 10

Comments

When i reaches 10 in the preceding program, operator[] detects that an out-of-bounds subscript is being used and issues an error message.

Note that the function operator[] returns a reference type. This causes it to be an l-value, allowing you to use subscripted expressions on either side of assignment operators.

See also

Static subscript operator
Operator Overloading