Dear ISO C++ Committee,

I am writing to propose the addition of a new method, "reference silent_at(size_type index) noexcept," to all random access containers in C++. This proposal aims to address the concern of bounds checking in a manner that balances efficiency and safety.

To provide further clarity and support for this proposal, I would like to share some code references that demonstrate the proposed silent_at() method and its benefits.

By studying these code references, it becomes evident that the proposed silent_at() method can offer a pragmatic compromise between the unchecked operator[] and the exception-throwing at() methods. It enables efficient bounds checking while ensuring controlled program termination without producing any output.

I sincerely appreciate your consideration of this proposal and the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing development of the C++ language. I eagerly await your feedback and the possibility of engaging in further discussions regarding this idea.

Thank you for your time and attention.

References:

silent_at:

https://godbolt.org/z/4v7Eo3ce9

at with supposed implementation:

https://godbolt.org/z/soK98Prjh

libstdc++ with _GLIBCXX_ASSERTIONS :

https://godbolt.org/z/vWzsxshGv

Rust Inefficiency due to too much debugging output:

https://godbolt.org/z/M455GqsE6

Sincerely,

Shengdun Wang

tvfvof@outlook.com

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