std::basic_string<CharT,Traits,Allocator>::begin, std::basic_string<CharT,Traits,Allocator>::cbegin

iterator begin();

iterator begin() noexcept;

const_iterator begin() const;

const_iterator begin() const noexcept;

const_iterator cbegin() const noexcept;

Returns an iterator to the first character of the string.

begin() returns a mutable or constant iterator, depending on the constness of *this.

cbegin() always returns a constant iterator. It is equivalent to const_cast<const basic_string&>(*this).begin().

Parameters

(none).

Return value

iterator to the first character.

Complexity

Constant.

Example

#include <string>
#include <iostream>
 
int main()
{
    std::string s("Exemplar");
    *s.begin() = 'e';
    std::cout << s <<'\n';
 
    auto i = s.cbegin();
    std::cout << *i << '\n';
//  *i = 'E'; // error: i is a constant iterator
}

exemplar
e

See also