How does std::vector's copy constructor operate?
c++, std, string, vector
Solution
`std::vector` and most other standard library containers store elements by value. The elements are copied on insertion or when the container is copied. `std::string` also maintains its own copy of the data, as far as your usage of it is concerned.
Problem
How does a `std::vector<std::string>` initialize its self when the following code is invoked ``` std::vector<std::string> original; std::vector<std::string> newVector = original; ``` It would seem as if the copy constructor would be invoked on `std::vector<std::string> new` during `newVector = original`, but how are the `std::string`'s brought over inside of the `orginal`? Are they copies or new `std::string`'s? So is the memory in `newVector[0]` the same as `original[0]`. The reason I ask is say I do the following ``` #include <vector> #include <string> using namespace std; vector<string> globalVector; void Initialize() { globalVector.push_back("One"); globalVector.push_back("Two"); } void DoStuff() { vector<string> t = globalVector; } int main(void) { Initialize(); DoStuff(); } ``` `t` will fall out of scope of `DoStuff` (on a non optimized build), but if it `t` is just filled with pointers to the `std::string`'s in `globalVector`, might the destructor be called and the memory used in `std::string` deleted, there for making `globalVector[0]` filled with garbage `std::string`'s after `DoStuff` is called? A nut shell, I am basically asking, when `std::vector`'s copy constructor is called, how are the elements inside copied?