cout.flush() in c++
Explanation of cout.flush()
in C++:
The cout.flush()
function in C++ is used to flush the output buffer of the cout
stream. When we write data to the cout
stream using the <<
operator, the output is not immediately sent to the output device (such as the console or a file). Instead, it is stored in an internal buffer. The cout.flush()
function forces the data in the buffer to be immediately sent to the output device.
Here is a step-by-step explanation of how cout.flush()
works:
The
cout
object: In C++, thecout
object is an instance of theostream
class, which is used for output operations. It is associated with the standard output device, typically the console.Output buffer: When we use the
<<
operator to write data tocout
, the data is stored in an output buffer instead of being immediately sent to the console. This buffering improves performance by reducing the number of system calls for writing to the output device.Buffer flushing: By default, the output buffer is automatically flushed under certain conditions, such as when the program terminates or when the
endl
manipulator is used. However, there may be cases where we want to explicitly flush the buffer before these conditions are met. This is wherecout.flush()
comes into play.Using
cout.flush()
: When we callcout.flush()
, it immediately sends the contents of the output buffer to the output device. This ensures that any buffered data is displayed on the console or written to a file right away.Flushing without
cout.flush()
: If we don't explicitly flush the output buffer usingcout.flush()
, the buffer will be automatically flushed at the end of the program. However, if we want to see the output immediately or if we are dealing with a situation where the program might terminate abruptly, it is a good practice to usecout.flush()
.
That's the explanation of cout.flush()
in C++.