std::cout, std::wcout

 

C++

Compiler support

Freestanding and hosted

Language

Standard library

Standard library headers

Named requirements

Feature test macros (C++20)

Language support library

Concepts library (C++20)

Metaprogramming library (C++11)

Diagnostics library

General utilities library

Strings library

Containers library

Iterators library

Ranges library (C++20)

Algorithms library

Numerics library

Localizations library

Input/output library

Filesystem library (C++17)

Regular expressions library (C++11)

Concurrency support library (C++11)

Execution support library (C++26)

Technical specifications

Symbols index

External libraries

 

Input/output library

I/O manipulators

Print functions (C++23)

C-style I/O

Buffers

basic_streambuf

basic_filebuf

basic_stringbuf

basic_spanbuf (C++23)

strstreambuf (C++98/26*)

basic_syncbuf (C++20)

Streams

Abstractions

ios_base

basic_ios

basic_istream

basic_ostream

basic_iostream

File I/O

basic_ifstream

basic_ofstream

basic_fstream

String I/O

basic_istringstream

basic_ostringstream

basic_stringstream

Array I/O

basic_ispanstream (C++23)

basic_ospanstream (C++23)

basic_spanstream (C++23)

istrstream (C++98/26*)

ostrstream (C++98/26*)

strstream (C++98/26*)

Synchronized Output

basic_osyncstream (C++20)

Types

streamoff

streamsize

fpos

Error category interface

iostream_category (C++11)

io_errc (C++11)

 

std::basic_ostream

Global objects
coutwcout	cerrwcerr	clogwclog
Member functions
basic_ostream::basic_ostream
basic_ostream::~basic_ostream
basic_ostream::operator= (C++11)
Formatted output
basic_ostream::operator<<
Unformatted output
basic_ostream::put
basic_ostream::write
Positioning
basic_ostream::tellp
basic_ostream::seekp
Miscellaneous
basic_ostream::flush
basic_ostream::swap (C++11)
Member classes
basic_ostream::sentry
Non-member functions
operator<<(std::basic_ostream)
print(std::ostream) (C++23)
println(std::ostream) (C++23)
vprint_unicode(std::ostream) (C++23)
vprint_nonunicode(std::ostream) (C++23)

 

Defined in header <iostream>
extern std::ostream cout;	(1)
extern std::wostream wcout;	(2)

The global objects std::cout and std::wcout control output to a stream buffer of implementation-defined type (derived from std::streambuf), associated with the standard C output stream stdout.

These objects are guaranteed to be initialized during or before the first time an object of type std::ios_base::Init is constructed and are available for use in the constructors and destructors of static objects with ordered initialization (as long as <iostream> is included before the object is defined).

Unless std::ios_base::sync_with_stdio(false) has been issued, it is safe to concurrently access these objects from multiple threads for both formatted and unformatted output.

By specification of std::cin, std::cin.tie() returns &std::cout. This means that any input operation on std::cin executes std::cout.flush() (via std::basic_istream::sentry's constructor). Similarly, std::wcin.tie() returns &std::wcout.

By specification of std::cerr, std::cerr.tie() returns &std::cout. This means that any output operation on std::cerr executes std::cout.flush() (via std::basic_ostream::sentry's constructor). Similarly, std::wcerr.tie() returns &std::wcout. (since C++11)

Notes

The 'c' in the name refers to "character" (stroustrup.com FAQ); cout means "character output" and wcout means "wide character output".

Because dynamic initialization of templated variables are unordered, it is not guaranteed that std::cout has been initialized to a usable state before the initialization of such variables begins, unless an object of type std::ios_base::Init has been constructed.

Example

Run this code

#include <iostream>
 
struct Foo
{
    int n;
    Foo()
    {
        std::cout << "static constructor\n";
    }
    ~Foo()
    {
        std::cout << "static destructor\n";
    }
};
 
Foo f; // static object
 
int main()
{
    std::cout << "main function\n";
}

Output:

static constructor
main function
static destructor

See also

Init	initializes standard stream objects (public member class of std::ios_base)
cerrwcerr	writes to the standard C error stream stderr, unbuffered (global object)
clogwclog	writes to the standard C error stream stderr (global object)
stdinstdoutstderr	expression of type FILE* associated with the input stream expression of type FILE* associated with the output stream expression of type FILE* associated with the error output stream (macro constant)