std::map insert or std::map find?

Question

Assuming a map where you want to preserve existing entries. 20% of the time, the entry you are inserting is new data. Is there an advantage to doing std::map::find then std

Answer 1

I would think if you do a find then insert, the extra cost would be when you don't find the key and performing the insert after. It's sort of like looking through books in alphabetical order and not finding the book, then looking through the books again to see where to insert it. It boils down to how you will be handling the keys and if they are constantly changing. Now there is some flexibility in that if you don't find it, you can log, exception, do whatever you want...