When to Use `std::size_t` for Loop Counters?

std::size_t: When to Employ Its Use?

In C , developers often find themselves contemplating whether to employ std::size_t for loops and similar constructs instead of integral types like int. Consider the following code segment:

<code class="cpp">#include <cstdint>

int main()
{
    for (std::size_t i = 0; i < 10; ++i) {
        // Should `std::size_t` be used here, or is `unsigned int` more appropriate?
    }
}</code>

When to Use std::size_t

A guiding principle for the appropriate use of std::size_t is to consider its utility in loop conditions with variables naturally expressed as std::size_t.

std::size_t serves as the return type of the sizeof operator and is guaranteed to be capable of expressing the maximum size of any object or array in C . Correspondingly, it is sufficiently large for array indexing, making it the natural choice for loops over arrays where the index is compared to std::size_t values.

Alternative Options

In situations where you are merely counting up to a specific number, it may be more intuitive to use the type of the holding variable or an integral type (int or unsigned int) if its size is adequate for the intended operation.

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