What is the difference between cout cerr clog of iostream header in c When to use which one

Question

I looked up the differences between cout, cerr, and clog on the internet but couldn't find a definitive answer.

I'm still not sure when to utilise which.

Can somebody explain to me, using simple programmes and illustrations, when to utilise which one?

I went to this site, which demonstrates a short programme on cerr and clog, however the output may also be gotten using cout.

So I'm not sure what each one is for.

Answer 1

In general, std::cout is used for regular output, std::cerr for errors, and std::clog for "logging" (which can mean whatever you want it to mean).

The main distinction is that std::cerr, unlike the other two, is not buffered.

Std::cout relates to stdout, but std::cerr and std::clog both correspond to stderr in regard to the old C stdout and stderr (except that std::clog is buffered).