Final answer:
The efficiency of allocating a vector at once or setting elements as you go depends on the situation. If the size is known and doesn't change, allocating at once is more efficient. If the size is unknown or changes dynamically, setting elements as you go is more efficient.
Step-by-step explanation:
The answer to whether it is better to allocate a vector at once or set the elements as you go depends on the situation.
If you know the size of the vector beforehand and it doesn't change, it is more efficient to allocate the vector at once. This is because allocating the vector all at once ensures that the memory is contiguous, allowing for faster access to elements.
On the other hand, if you don't know the size of the vector beforehand or the size of the vector keeps changing dynamically, it is more efficient to set the elements as you go. This way, you can avoid allocating unnecessary memory or reallocating the vector each time it grows.