List is a linked list. It's good for when you need to remove items from any place in the list (ie test each item in the list and remove those that fail for example). Vectors are good at random access (which lists are not) and removal at end. However, you could use a vector and copy-on-delete (that is, copy the last element over the one you want to remove and pop the last element).

I had never heard of programming lists in my life until recently. Are they in the native C++ or Allegro or another header file? Maybe I'll google them to learn more about them though. It sounds like an array, but I guess not all of the same type like a vector.

Felix: Please, please get a C++ reference. Or any kind of C++ book. There are even good free ones available. Seriously. I believe I'm speaking for everyone here.

http://www.cplusplus.com/reference/

forehead slap
And here I was working on my own double linked list class. I guess it was good experience.

I would suggest the exact opposite. The entire point of the STL (and indeed C++ as a whole) is to be able to use code without having to understand every detail of how it works. It's an utter waste of time spending days trying to implement your own containers when you could be doing something useful with proven, reliable containers that already exist.

If you get to the point where std::list (or whatever you're using) is inadequate for your needs, then start worrying about implementing custom containers.

Yeah, I'll second that. If the only thing you care about is functionality, then look for things that are already made. STL is very big and does a lot of stuff already, so looking through a reference will help you. It only takes a few minutes of directed internet searches, and it will save you a lot of time. Also, you'll know exactly what can't be done with STL (e.g. it has no double-ended vectors), but you can't know that if you don't know what is already there.

Speedo's link should be sufficient for most uses, so no need to buy anything I'd think.

Look in my sig for a link to a nice STL reference (includes containers). You can download a copy for offline use from there as well.

Funny, that's what Java programmers say...

STL is a huge time saver, but there are a couple of 'gotcha's' like copy constructors. Chris Barry's tutorials were really good, whatever happened to 'em?

Awesome flow chart. I need to keep a copy of that.

That flow chart is pretty good, gnolam. There is one link I'm a bit hazy about though: why are deques better than vectors when "size will vary widely"?

I don't think that being able to program stuff without understanding it is point of STL or C++.

I think that the best way to learn which STL data structure is best for which situation is to learn how those data types are implemented. Creating the data structures oneself is a good way to learn how they work and thus understand how each of them will perform in any given situation.

STL is not allegro. It's a template library filled with well written, common, algorithms and data structures. The basic principle behind them is very useful, and is needed when you want to write more sophisticated data structures anyway (trees and graphs for example).