# std::iter_swap

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< cpp‎ | algorithm

Defined in header `<algorithm>` |  |
template< class ForwardIt1, class ForwardIt2 > void iter_swap( ForwardIt1 a, ForwardIt2 b ); |  |

Swaps the values of the elements the given iterators are pointing to.

### Parameters

a, b | - | iterators to the elements to swap
Type requirements
- `ForwardIt1, ForwardIt2` must meet the requirements of `ForwardIterator`.
- `*a, *b` must meet the requirements of `Swappable`.

### Return value

(none)

### Complexity

constant

### Possible implementation

    template<class ForwardIt1, class ForwardIt2>
    void iter_swap(ForwardIt1 a, ForwardIt2 b)
    {
       using std::swap;
       swap(*a, *b);
    }

### Example

The following is an implementation of selection sort in C++

Run this code

    #include <random>
    #include <vector>
    #include <iostream>
    #include <algorithm>
    #include <functional>
    #include <iterator>

    template<class ForwardIt>
    void selection_sort(ForwardIt begin, ForwardIt end)
    {
        for (ForwardIt i = begin; i != end; ++i)
            std::iter_swap(i, std::min_element(i, end));
    }

    int main()
    {
        std::random_device rd;
        std::mt19937 gen(rd());
        std::uniform_int_distribution<> dist(-10, 10);
        std::vector<int> v;
        generate_n(back_inserter(v), 20, bind(dist, gen));

        std::cout << "Before sort: ";
        copy(v.begin(), v.end(), std::ostream_iterator<int>(std::cout, " "));

        selection_sort(v.begin(), v.end());

        std::cout << "\nAfter sort: ";
        copy(v.begin(), v.end(), std::ostream_iterator<int>(std::cout, " "));
        std::cout << '\n';
    }

Output:

    Before sort: -7 6 2 4 -1 6 -9 -1 2 -5 10 -9 -5 -3 -5 -3 6 6 1 8
    After sort: -9 -9 -7 -5 -5 -5 -3 -3 -1 -1 1 2 2 4 6 6 6 6 8 10

### See also

swap | swaps the values of two objects (function template)
swap_ranges | swaps two ranges of elements (function template)

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