NAME

std::basic_string::begin, - std::basic_string::begin,

Synopsis

iterator begin(); (until C++11)
iterator begin() noexcept; (since C++11)
(until C++20)
constexpr iterator begin() (since C++20)
noexcept;
const_iterator begin() const; (until C++11)
const_iterator begin() const (1) (since C++11)
noexcept; (until C++20)
constexpr const_iterator begin() (since C++20)
const noexcept; (2)
const_iterator cbegin() const (since C++11)
noexcept; (3) (until C++20)
constexpr const_iterator cbegin() (since C++20)
const noexcept;

Returns an iterator to the first character of the string.

begin() returns a mutable or constant iterator, depending on the constness of *this.

cbegin() always returns a constant iterator. It is equivalent to const_cast<const
basic_string&>(*this).begin().

range-begin-end.svg

Parameters

(none)

Return value

iterator to the first character

Complexity

Constant

Example

// Run this code

#include <string>
#include <iostream>

int main()
{
std::string s("Exemplar");
*s.begin() = 'e';
std::cout << s <<'\n';

auto i = s.cbegin();
std::cout << *i << '\n';
// *i = 'E'; // error: i is a constant iterator
}

Output:

exemplar
e

See also

end returns an iterator to the end
cend (public member function)
(C++11)
begin returns an iterator to the beginning
cbegin (public member function of std::basic_string_view<CharT,Traits>)
(C++17)