std::ranges::min(3)

NAME
std::ranges::min - std::ranges::min

Synopsis
   Defined in header <algorithm>
   Call signature
   template< class T, class Proj = std::identity,
   std::indirect_strict_weak_order< (since
   std::projected<const T*, Proj>> Comp = ranges::less > C++20)
   constexpr const T& min( const T& a, const T& b, Comp comp = {}, Proj proj =
   {} );
   template< std::copyable T, class Proj = std::identity,
   std::indirect_strict_weak_order< (since
   std::projected<const T*, Proj>> Comp = ranges::less > C++20)
   constexpr const T min( std::initializer_list<T> r, Comp comp = {}, Proj
   proj = {} );
   template< ranges::input_range R, class Proj = std::identity,
   std::indirect_strict_weak_order<
   std::projected<ranges::iterator_t<R>, Proj>> Comp = ranges::less > (since
   requires std::indirectly_copyable_storable<ranges::iterator_t<R>, C++20)
   ranges::range_value_t<R>*>
   constexpr ranges::range_value_t<R> min( R&& r, Comp comp = {}, Proj proj =
   {} );
   Returns the smaller of the given projected elements.
   1) Returns the smaller of a and b.
   2) Returns the first smallest element in the initializer list r.
   3) Returns the first smallest value in the range r.
   The function-like entities described on this page are niebloids, that is:
     * Explicit template argument lists may not be specified when calling any of them.
     * None of them is visible to argument-dependent lookup.
     * When one of them is found by normal unqualified lookup for the name to the left
       of the function-call operator, it inhibits argument-dependent lookup.
   In practice, they may be implemented as function objects, or with special compiler
   extensions.

Parameters
   a, b - the values to compare
   r - the range of values to compare
   comp - comparison to apply to the projected elements
   proj - projection to apply to the elements

Return value
   1) The smaller of a and b, according to the projection. If they are equivalent,
   returns a.
   2-3) The smallest element in r, according to the projection. If several values are
   equivalent to the smallest, returns the leftmost one. If the range is empty (as
   determined by ranges::distance(r)), the behavior is undefined.

Complexity
   1) Exactly one comparison
   2-3) Exactly ranges::distance(r) - 1 comparisons

Possible implementation
 struct min_fn {
   template<class T, class Proj = std::identity,
            std::indirect_strict_weak_order<
                std::projected<const T*, Proj>> Comp = ranges::less>
   constexpr
   const T& operator()(const T& a, const T& b, Comp comp = {}, Proj proj = {}) const
   {
       return std::invoke(comp, std::invoke(proj, b), std::invoke(proj, a)) ? b : a;
   }
   template<std::copyable T, class Proj = std::identity,
            std::indirect_strict_weak_order<
                std::projected<const T*, Proj>> Comp = ranges::less>
   constexpr
   const T operator()(std::initializer_list<T> r, Comp comp = {}, Proj proj = {}) const
   {
     return *ranges::min_element(r, std::ref(comp), std::ref(proj));
   }
   template<ranges::input_range R, class Proj = std::identity,
            std::indirect_strict_weak_order<
                 std::projected<ranges::iterator_t<R>, Proj>> Comp = ranges::less>
   requires std::indirectly_copyable_storable<ranges::iterator_t<R>,
                        ranges::range_value_t<R>*>
   constexpr
   ranges::range_value_t<R> operator()(R&& r, Comp comp = {}, Proj proj = {}) const
   {
       using V = ranges::range_value_t<R>;
       if constexpr (ranges::forward_range<R>) {
           return static_cast<V>(*ranges::min_element(r, std::ref(comp), std::ref(proj)));
       }
       else {
           auto i = ranges::begin(r);
           auto s = ranges::end(r);
           V m(*i);
           while (++i != s) {
               if (std::invoke(comp, std::invoke(proj, *i), std::invoke(proj, m))) {
                   m = *i;
               }
           }
           return m;
       }
   }
 };
 inline constexpr min_fn min;

Notes
   Capturing the result of std::ranges::min by reference produces a dangling reference
   if one of the parameters is a temporary and that parameter is returned:
 int n = 1;
 const int& r = std::ranges::min(n-1, n+1);
 // r is dangling

Example
// Run this code
 #include <algorithm>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <string>
 int main()
 {
     namespace ranges = std::ranges;
     using namespace std::string_view_literals;
     std::cout << "smaller of 1 and 9999: " << ranges::min(1, 9999) << '\n'
               << "smaller of 'a', and 'b': '" << ranges::min('a', 'b') << "'\n"
               << "shortest of \"foo\", \"bar\", and \"hello\": \""
               << ranges::min({ "foo"sv, "bar"sv, "hello"sv }, {},
                        &std::string_view::size) << "\"\n";
 }

Output:
 smaller of 1 and 9999: 1
 smaller of 'a', and 'b': 'a'
 shortest of "foo", "bar", and "hello": "foo"

See also
   ranges::max returns the greater of the given values
   (C++20) (niebloid)
   ranges::minmax returns the smaller and larger of two elements
   (C++20) (niebloid)
   ranges::min_element returns the smallest element in a range
   (C++20) (niebloid)
   ranges::clamp clamps a value between a pair of boundary values
   (C++20) (niebloid)
   min returns the smaller of the given values
                       (function template)