C++ FAQ / Section 15 / FAQ 15.7

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Revised Jul 4, 2012

[15.7] Should I end my output lines with std::endl or '\n'?

Using std::endl flushes the output buffer after sending a '\n', which means std::endl is more expensive in performance. Obviously if you need to flush the buffer after sending a '\n', then use std::endl; but if you don't need to flush the buffer, the code will run faster if you use '\n'.

This code simply outputs a '\n':

void f()
{
  std::cout << ...stuff... << '\n';
}

This code outputs a '\n', then flushes the output buffer:

void g()
{
  std::cout << ...stuff... << std::endl;
}

This code simply flushes the output buffer:

void h()
{
  std::cout << ...stuff... << std::flush;
}

Note: all three of the above examples require #include <iostream>