Thread: Vector::clear() won't clear

After I cleared the first vector and copy the second in it there still some characters left behind after copying.
How is that possible?

Code:

#include <string>
#include <vector>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main()
{
        string str = "Hello";
        vector<char> v(11, '8');
        vector<char> v2;
        for(int i = 0; i < 5; ++i) v2.push_back(str[i]);

        v.clear();
        v = v2;

        cout << "v: " << &v.at(0)<< "\n\n";
}

because after

Code:

v = v2;

v holds the contents of v2

Kurt
EDIT:
clear doesn't have to destroy the content of the vector it just sets its size to 0. So the content might still be there. The following assignement overwrites only part of that old content.

Why are you trying to print the contents of the vector as if it were a null terminated string? For example, you might write this instead:

Code:

#include <string>
#include <vector>
#include <iostream>
#include <iterator>
using namespace std;
 
int main()
{
    string str = "Hello";
    vector<char> v(11, '8');
    vector<char> v2;
    for(int i = 0; i < 5; ++i) v2.push_back(str[i]);

    v.clear();
    v = v2;

    copy(v.begin(), v.end(), ostream_iterator<char>(cout, ""));
    cout << endl;
}

Ok, thanks, I understand. So there is no need to remove the content.