[c++] How do I sort a vector of pairs based on the second element of the pair?

If I have a vector of pairs:

std::vector<std::pair<int, int> > vec;

Is there and easy way to sort the list in increasing order based on the second element of the pair?

I know I can write a little function object that will do the work, but is there a way to use existing parts of the STL and std::less to do the work directly?

EDIT: I understand that I can write a separate function or class to pass to the third argument to sort. The question is whether or not I can build it out of standard stuff. I'd really something that looks like:

std::sort(vec.begin(), vec.end(), std::something_magic<int, int, std::less>());

You can use boost like this:

std::sort(a.begin(), a.end(), 
          boost::bind(&std::pair<int, int>::second, _1) <
          boost::bind(&std::pair<int, int>::second, _2));

I don't know a standard way to do this equally short and concise, but you can grab boost::bind it's all consisting of headers.

Its pretty simple you use the sort function from algorithm and add your own compare function

vector< pair<int,int > > v;
sort(v.begin(),v.end(),myComparison);

Now you have to make the comparison based on the second selection so declare you "myComparison" as

bool myComparison(const pair<int,int> &a,const pair<int,int> &b)
{
       return a.second<b.second;
}

You'd have to rely on a non standard select2nd

For something reusable:

template<template <typename> class P = std::less >
struct compare_pair_second {
    template<class T1, class T2> bool operator()(const std::pair<T1, T2>& left, const std::pair<T1, T2>& right) {
        return P<T2>()(left.second, right.second);
    }
};

You can use it as

std::sort(foo.begin(), foo.end(), compare_pair_second<>());

or

std::sort(foo.begin(), foo.end(), compare_pair_second<std::less>());

Try swapping the elements of the pairs so you can use std::sort() as normal.

For something reusable:

template<template <typename> class P = std::less >
struct compare_pair_second {
    template<class T1, class T2> bool operator()(const std::pair<T1, T2>& left, const std::pair<T1, T2>& right) {
        return P<T2>()(left.second, right.second);
    }
};

You can use it as

std::sort(foo.begin(), foo.end(), compare_pair_second<>());

or

std::sort(foo.begin(), foo.end(), compare_pair_second<std::less>());

Try swapping the elements of the pairs so you can use std::sort() as normal.

For something reusable:

template<template <typename> class P = std::less >
struct compare_pair_second {
    template<class T1, class T2> bool operator()(const std::pair<T1, T2>& left, const std::pair<T1, T2>& right) {
        return P<T2>()(left.second, right.second);
    }
};

You can use it as

std::sort(foo.begin(), foo.end(), compare_pair_second<>());

or

std::sort(foo.begin(), foo.end(), compare_pair_second<std::less>());

You'd have to rely on a non standard select2nd

You'd have to rely on a non standard select2nd

You can use boost like this:

std::sort(a.begin(), a.end(), 
          boost::bind(&std::pair<int, int>::second, _1) <
          boost::bind(&std::pair<int, int>::second, _2));

I don't know a standard way to do this equally short and concise, but you can grab boost::bind it's all consisting of headers.

For something reusable:

template<template <typename> class P = std::less >
struct compare_pair_second {
    template<class T1, class T2> bool operator()(const std::pair<T1, T2>& left, const std::pair<T1, T2>& right) {
        return P<T2>()(left.second, right.second);
    }
};

You can use it as

std::sort(foo.begin(), foo.end(), compare_pair_second<>());

or

std::sort(foo.begin(), foo.end(), compare_pair_second<std::less>());

You can use boost like this:

std::sort(a.begin(), a.end(), 
          boost::bind(&std::pair<int, int>::second, _1) <
          boost::bind(&std::pair<int, int>::second, _2));

I don't know a standard way to do this equally short and concise, but you can grab boost::bind it's all consisting of headers.

With C++0x we can use lambda functions:

using namespace std;
vector<pair<int, int>> v;
        .
        .
sort(v.begin(), v.end(),
     [](const pair<int, int>& lhs, const pair<int, int>& rhs) {
             return lhs.second < rhs.second; } );

In this example the return type bool is implicitly deduced.

Lambda return types

When a lambda-function has a single statement, and this is a return-statement, the compiler can deduce the return type. From C++11, §5.1.2/4:

...

• If the compound-statement is of the form { return expression ; } the type of the returned expression after lvalue-to-rvalue conversion (4.1), array-to-pointer conversion (4.2), and function-to-pointer conversion (4.3);
• otherwise, void.

To explicitly specify the return type use the form []() -> Type { }, like in:

sort(v.begin(), v.end(),
     [](const pair<int, int>& lhs, const pair<int, int>& rhs) -> bool {
             if (lhs.second == 0)
                 return true;
             return lhs.second < rhs.second; } );

You can use boost like this:

std::sort(a.begin(), a.end(), 
          boost::bind(&std::pair<int, int>::second, _1) <
          boost::bind(&std::pair<int, int>::second, _2));

I don't know a standard way to do this equally short and concise, but you can grab boost::bind it's all consisting of headers.

You'd have to rely on a non standard select2nd

With C++0x we can use lambda functions:

using namespace std;
vector<pair<int, int>> v;
        .
        .
sort(v.begin(), v.end(),
     [](const pair<int, int>& lhs, const pair<int, int>& rhs) {
             return lhs.second < rhs.second; } );

In this example the return type bool is implicitly deduced.

Lambda return types

When a lambda-function has a single statement, and this is a return-statement, the compiler can deduce the return type. From C++11, §5.1.2/4:

...

• If the compound-statement is of the form { return expression ; } the type of the returned expression after lvalue-to-rvalue conversion (4.1), array-to-pointer conversion (4.2), and function-to-pointer conversion (4.3);
• otherwise, void.

To explicitly specify the return type use the form []() -> Type { }, like in:

sort(v.begin(), v.end(),
     [](const pair<int, int>& lhs, const pair<int, int>& rhs) -> bool {
             if (lhs.second == 0)
                 return true;
             return lhs.second < rhs.second; } );

Its pretty simple you use the sort function from algorithm and add your own compare function

vector< pair<int,int > > v;
sort(v.begin(),v.end(),myComparison);

Now you have to make the comparison based on the second selection so declare you "myComparison" as

bool myComparison(const pair<int,int> &a,const pair<int,int> &b)
{
       return a.second<b.second;
}