stdlist

stdlist is not a standard term in the C++ standard library. The correct name is std::list, a container defined in the <list> header that implements a doubly linked list. std::list stores elements in separate nodes, each linking to the previous and next elements, so the elements are not stored contiguously.

Key features and usage: std::list is a templated class template: std::list<T, Allocator = std::allocator<T>>. It provides bidirectional iterators, allowing traversal in both directions. Common operations include push_back, push_front, emplace_back, emplace_front, pop_back, pop_front, insert, erase, clear, size, empty, front, back, and reverse. It also offers advanced operations such as splice (to move elements between lists in constant time), merge, sort, unique, remove, and remove_if. The container supports stable iteration, and iterations remain valid across many insertions and deletions, except for the erased elements.

Complexity and memory considerations: Insertion or erasure at a given position, given a valid iterator, is typically constant time. Access by index is not supported; operator[] is absent and random access is O(n). Because each element is allocated separately, std::list incurs more memory overhead and poorer cache locality compared to contiguous containers like std::vector. This makes list slower for traversal-heavy workloads, but advantageous when many insertions or deletions occur in the middle of the sequence, or when you need reliable iterators and references to elements.

When to choose std::list: opt for std::list if you require frequent middle insertions/deletions, stable iterators, or efficient splicing of existing elements between lists. For random access, cache-friendly traversal, or fewer allocations, other containers such as std::vector or std::forward_list (singly linked) may be more appropriate.