:orphan:
# VecScatterBegin
Begins a generalized scatter from one vector to another. Complete the scattering phase with `VecScatterEnd()`.
## Synopsis
```
#include "petscsf.h"
PetscErrorCode VecScatterBegin(VecScatter sf, Vec x, Vec y, InsertMode addv, ScatterMode mode)
```
Neighbor-wise Collective
## Input Parameters
- ***sf -*** scatter context generated by `VecScatterCreate()`
- ***x -*** the vector from which we scatter
- ***y -*** the vector to which we scatter
- ***addv -*** either `ADD_VALUES`, `MAX_VALUES`, `MIN_VALUES` or `INSERT_VALUES`, with `INSERT_VALUES` mode any location
not scattered to retains its old value; i.e. the vector is NOT first zeroed.
- ***mode -*** the scattering mode, usually `SCATTER_FORWARD`. The available modes are: `SCATTER_FORWARD` or `SCATTER_REVERSE`
## Notes
The vectors `x` and `y` need not be the same vectors used in the call
to `VecScatterCreate()`, but `x` must have the same parallel data layout
as that passed in as the `x` to `VecScatterCreate()`, similarly for the `y`.
Most likely they have been obtained from `VecDuplicate()`.
You cannot change the values in the input vector between the calls to `VecScatterBegin()`
and `VecScatterEnd()`.
If you use `SCATTER_REVERSE` the two arguments `x` and `y` should be reversed, from
the `SCATTER_FORWARD`.
y[iy[i]] = x[ix[i]], for i=0,...,ni-1
This scatter is far more general than the conventional
scatter, since it can be a gather or a scatter or a combination,
depending on the indices ix and iy. If x is a parallel vector and y
is sequential, `VecScatterBegin()` can serve to gather values to a
single processor. Similarly, if `y` is parallel and `x` sequential, the
routine can scatter from one processor to many processors.
## See Also
[](sec_scatter), `VecScatter`, `VecScatterCreate()`, `VecScatterEnd()`
## Level
intermediate
## Location
src/vec/is/sf/interface/vscat.c
## Examples
src/dm/tutorials/ex14.c
src/dm/tutorials/ex22.c
src/dm/tutorials/ex25.c
src/dm/tutorials/ex6.c
src/ksp/ksp/tutorials/ex43.c
src/ksp/ksp/tutorials/ex49.c
src/ksp/ksp/tutorials/ex73.c
src/tao/constrained/tutorials/ex1.c
src/tao/pde_constrained/tutorials/elliptic.c
src/tao/pde_constrained/tutorials/hyperbolic.c
src/tao/pde_constrained/tutorials/parabolic.c
---
[Edit on GitLab](https://gitlab.com/petsc/petsc/-/edit/release/src/vec/is/sf/interface/vscat.c)
[Index of all PetscSF routines](index.md)
[Table of Contents for all manual pages](/manualpages/index.md)
[Index of all manual pages](/manualpages/singleindex.md)