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Standard Template Library
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<p>The Standard Template Library (STL) is a <a href="/facts/Library_(computer_science)/xRzL3P7q">software library</a> originally designed by <a href="/facts/Alexander_Stepanov/znVUvH2I">Alexander Stepanov</a> for the <a href="/facts/C%2B%2B/Et0F2qn9">C++</a> programming language that influenced many parts of the <a href="/facts/C%2B%2B_Standard_Library/A5vQNSAD">C++ Standard Library</a>. It provides four components called <i><a href="/facts/Algorithm_(C%2B%2B)/DeedBBhb">algorithms</a></i>, <i><a href="/facts/Container_(data_structure)/KdjDzR7v">containers</a></i>, <i><a href="/facts/Function_object/zC9SWfeu">functors</a></i>, and <i><a href="/facts/Iterator/f0HhTBWz">iterators</a></i>. </p><p>The STL provides a set of common <a href="/facts/C%2B%2B_classes/1rWoasWM">classes</a> for C++, such as containers and <a href="/facts/Associative_array/IFGd2xcP">associative arrays</a>, that can be used with any built-in type or user-defined type that supports some elementary operations (such as copying and assignment). STL algorithms are independent of containers, which significantly reduces the complexity of the library. </p><p>The STL achieves its results through the use of <a href="/facts/Template_(programming)/TXEqGy7R">templates</a>. This approach provides <a href="/facts/Compile-time_polymorphism/9zzA5VKC">compile-time polymorphism</a> that is often more efficient than traditional <a href="/facts/Polymorphism_in_object-oriented_programming/S3cCKsVT">run-time polymorphism</a>. Modern C++ <a href="/facts/Compiler/WNfCDFJe">compilers</a> are tuned to minimize abstraction penalties arising from heavy use of the STL. </p><p>The STL was created as the first library of generic algorithms and data structures for C++, with four ideas in mind: <a href="/facts/Generic_programming/kqtqJk7p">generic programming</a>, <a href="/facts/Abstraction_(computer_science)/hAnxmJle">abstractness</a> without loss of efficiency, the <a href="/facts/Von_Neumann_architecture/te0yulFa">Von Neumann computation model</a>, and <a href="/facts/Value_semantics/8VgoYmJs">value semantics</a>. </p><p>The STL and the <a href="/facts/C%2B%2B_Standard_Library/A5vQNSAD">C++ Standard Library</a> are two distinct entities. </p>