Parallel STL (Standard Template Library) is an extension to the C++ Standard Library that provides parallel algorithms for modern hardware. It was introduced in C++17 to provide a more efficient way of processing data in parallel using multi-core processors.
Parallel STL includes parallel versions of many common algorithms, such as sort, count, accumulate, and transform. These algorithms can be used with standard containers like vectors, arrays, and lists.
The main advantage of using Parallel STL is that it allows developers to easily take advantage of multi-core processors without having to write complex threading code. Additionally, it is designed to be scalable, meaning that it can handle large datasets by automatically partitioning them into smaller pieces that can be processed in parallel.
However, Parallel STL may not always provide performance benefits over sequential STL algorithms, especially for small datasets or when the overhead of parallelism outweighs the benefits. Therefore, it is important to carefully benchmark and profile applications before deciding to use Parallel STL.
Overall, Parallel STL provides a powerful tool for developers looking to optimize the performance of their applications on modern hardware.