---
title: "Subscripting | Microsoft Docs"
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ms.date: "11/04/2016"
ms.technology: ["cpp-language"]
ms.topic: "language-reference"
dev_langs: ["C++"]
helpviewer_keywords: ["subscript operator [C++], overloaded", "arrays [C++], subscripting", "subscripting [C++]", "operators [C++], overloading", "operator overloading [C++], examples", "subscript operator"]
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author: "mikeblome"
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ms.workload: ["cplusplus"]
---
# Subscripting
The subscript operator (**[ ]**), like the function-call operator, is considered a binary operator. The subscript operator must be a nonstatic member function that takes a single argument. This argument can be of any type and designates the desired array subscript.  
  
## Example  
 The following example demonstrates how to create a vector of type `int` that implements bounds checking:  
  
```  
// subscripting.cpp  
// compile with: /EHsc  
#include <iostream>  
  
using namespace std;  
class IntVector {  
public:  
   IntVector( int cElements );  
   ~IntVector() { delete [] _iElements; }  
   int& operator[](int nSubscript);  
private:  
   int *_iElements;  
   int _iUpperBound;  
};  
  
// Construct an IntVector.  
IntVector::IntVector( int cElements ) {  
   _iElements = new int[cElements];  
   _iUpperBound = cElements;  
}  
  
// Subscript operator for IntVector.  
int& IntVector::operator[](int nSubscript) {  
   static int iErr = -1;  
  
   if( nSubscript >= 0 && nSubscript < _iUpperBound )  
      return _iElements[nSubscript];  
   else {  
      clog << "Array bounds violation." << endl;  
      return iErr;  
   }  
}  
  
// Test the IntVector class.  
int main() {  
   IntVector v( 10 );  
   int i;  
  
   for( i = 0; i <= 10; ++i )  
      v[i] = i;  
  
   v[3] = v[9];  
  
   for ( i = 0; i <= 10; ++i )  
      cout << "Element: [" << i << "] = " << v[i] << endl;  
}  
```  
  
```Output  
Array bounds violation.  
Element: [0] = 0  
Element: [1] = 1  
Element: [2] = 2  
Element: [3] = 9  
Element: [4] = 4  
Element: [5] = 5  
Element: [6] = 6  
Element: [7] = 7  
Element: [8] = 8  
Element: [9] = 9  
Array bounds violation.  
Element: [10] = 10  
```  
  
## Comments  
 When `i` reaches 10 in the preceding program, `operator[]` detects that an out-of-bounds subscript is being used and issues an error message.  
  
 Note that the function `operator[]` returns a reference type. This causes it to be an l-value, allowing you to use subscripted expressions on either side of assignment operators.  
  
## See Also  
 [Operator Overloading](../cpp/operator-overloading.md)