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Standard Template Library Programmer's Guide
(document number: 007-3426-004 / published: 1999-05-21) table of contents | additional info | download
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Forward Iterator


Category: iterators	Component type: concept

Description

A Forward Iterator is an iterator that corresponds to the usual intuitive notion of a linear sequence of values. It is possible to use Forward Iterators (unlike Input Iterators and Output Iterators) in multipass algorithms. Forward Iterators do not, however, allow stepping backwards through a sequence, but only, as the name suggests, forward.

A type that is a model of Forward Iterator may be either mutable or immutable, as defined in the Trivial Iterators requirements.

Refinement of

Input Iterator, Output Iterator

Associated types

The same as for Input Iterator

Notation

`X`	A type that is a model of Forward Iterator
`T`	The value type of `X`
`i`, `j`	Object of type `X`
`t`	Object of type `T`

Definitions

Valid expressions

Forward Iterator does not define any new expressions beyond those defined in Input Iterator. However, some of the restrictions described in Input Iterator are relaxed.

Name	Expression	Type requirements	Return type
Preincrement	`++i`		`X&`
Postincrement	`i++`		`X`

Expression semantics

Forward Iterator does not define any new expressions beyond those defined in Input Iterator. However, some of the restrictions described in Input Iterator are relaxed.

Name	Expression	Precondition	Semantics	Postcondition
Preincrement	`++i`	`i` is dereferenceable	`i` points to the next value	`i` is dereferenceable or past-the-end. `&i == &++i`. If `i == j`, then `++i == ++j`. [1]
Postincrement	`i++`	`i` is dereferenceable	Equivalent to `{X tmp = i; ++i; return tmp;}`	`i` is dereferenceable or past-the-end. [1]

Complexity guarantees

The complexity of operations on Forward Iterators is guaranteed to be amortized constant time.

Invariants

Models

T*
hash_set<T>::iterator

Notes

[1] The restrictions described in Input Iterator have been removed. Incrementing a forward iterator does not invalidate copies of the old value and it is guaranteed that, if i and j are dereferenceable and i == j, then ++i == ++j. As a consequence of these two facts, it is possible to pass through the same Forward Iterator twice.