---
description: "Learn more about: begin Function"
title: "begin Function"
ms.date: 09/27/2022
f1_keywords: ["collection/Windows::Foundation::Collections::begin"]
helpviewer_keywords: ["begin Function"]
ms.assetid: 5a44fb33-e247-49fd-b7a1-4a5b42e9e1e4
---
# `begin` Function

Returns an iterator that points to the beginning of a collection that is accessed by the specified interface parameter.

## Syntax

```cpp
template <typename T>
    ::Platform::Collections::VectorIterator<T>
    begin(IVector<T>^ v);

template <typename T>
    ::Platform::Collections::VectorViewIterator<T>
    begin(IVectorView<T>^ v);

template <typename T>
    ::Platform::Collections::InputIterator<T>
    begin(IIterable<T>^ i);
```

#### Parameters

*`T`*\
A template type parameter.

*`v`*\
A collection of `Vector<T>` or `VectorView<T>` objects that are accessed by an `IVector<T>` or `IVectorView<T>` interface.

*`i`*\
A collection of arbitrary Windows Runtime objects that are accessed by an `IIterable<T>` interface.

### Return value

An iterator that points to the beginning of the collection.

### Remarks

The first two function templates return iterators, and the third function template returns an input iterator.

The `VectorIterator` object that is returned by `begin` is a proxy iterator that stores elements of type `VectorProxy<T>`. However, the proxy object is almost never visible to user code. For more information, see [Collections (C++/CX)](../cppcx/collections-c-cx.md).

### Requirements

**Header:** collection.h

**Namespace:** `Windows::Foundation::Collections`

## See also

[`Windows::Foundation::Collections` namespace](../cppcx/windows-foundation-collections-namespace-c-cx.md)