std::array member functions empty(), max_size() - useless but for consistency?
c++, c++11, stdarray
Solution
Yes, they are only there for consistency, allowing easier template specialisation. Still your comment about `std::array<int, 4>` starting with no elements is wrong: It's a dressed up `int[4]`, now and forever. To your aside, per standard no most-derived C++ object is ever smaller than 1.
Problem
Are these member functions as useless as they seem and exist just to provide consistency with other containers? For example: ``` std::array<int, 4> array1; // size of 4 (but no elements initialized) std::array<int, 0> array2; // size of zero. array1.empty(); // false - not empty even though no elements are initialized array2.empty(); // true - empty and no way to add elements array1.size(); // room for four now array1.max_size(); // room for four forever array2.size(); // no room for anything now array2.max_size(); // ... or ever ``` The answer to "Why is std::array< T, 0 > not empty?" deals with a zero "size" param and a non-zero return from `sizeof()`, i.e., it does take up space even when empty. But that is not what I am asking.