What is std::pair?

Question

What is std::pair for, why would I use it, and what benefits does boost::compressed_pair bring?

Answer 1

It's nothing but a structure with two variables under the hood.

I actually dislike using std::pair for function returns. The reader of the code would have to know what .first is and what .second is.

The compromise I use sometimes is to immediately create constant references to .first and .second, while naming the references clearly.