Re: iterator_traits::value_type on back_insert_iterator - returns void

From:
"Victor Bazarov" <v.Abazarov@comAcast.net>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++
Date:
Fri, 8 Feb 2008 19:11:55 -0500
Message-ID:
<foir4b$4o7$1@news.datemas.de>
anto.anish@gmail.com wrote:

My Requirement is
1. Copy data from iterator to an array ( array should be created
dynamically within the function based on data_type of the data
held by the iterator /container. )

2. Copy data from array into iterator ( array should be created
dynamically within the function based on data_type of the data
held by the iterator /container. )

Implementation
-----------------------
//copies data from begin to end of container to array.
template <class T>
void writeiter( T& iter1, T& iter2)
{
  int t2= iter2 -iter1;
  cout <<t2<<endl;
  iterator_traits<T>::value_type *twrite= new
iterator_traits<T>::value_type[t2];
  std::copy(iter1,iter2,twrite);
}

//copies data from array to iter (back_insert_iterator)
template <class T> void readiter( T& iter, int len)
{
  //This line does not compile since return is a void.
  iterator_traits<T>::value_type *tread= new
iterator_traits<T>::value_type[len]; for (int i=0; i<len;++i)
tread[i] = i;
   std::copy(tread, tread+ len,iter );
}

int main()
{
 vector <int> v1;
 int len=5;
back_insert_iterator< vector<int> > v1back(v1);
readiter(v1back,len); //Does not work - the function does not compile

vector<int>::iterator vbdir1=v1.begin();
vector<int>::iterator vbdir2=v1.end();
writeiter(vbdir1,vbdir2); //works good

}

The readiter function does not compile since a
iterator_trait::value_type of back_insert_iterator's returns void.


It doesn't "return" void. It's defined as 'void'. IOW, the insert
iterator (back_insert_iterator is an insert iterator) does NOT have
a value type because it cannot be _dereferenced_ except for the
purpose of _assigning_ to the result of dereferencing. The insert
iterators adhere to the rules defined for _output_ iterators. You
cannot expect to _input_ anything (like you're trying to do in your
'readiter' function) using an _output_ iterator.

what i would need is to get the datatype of the container which is INT
held by the back_insert_iterator.


No such thing exists. By definition nothing is _held_ by an *insert*
iterator. It inserts and moves on.

My assumption was that i would get
the iterator_traits of back_insert_iterator from function readiter ,
which would later be used to create an array or a array of pointers.

Any help appreciated?


Rethink your solution. Start by understanding what 'insert iterator'
is for.

V
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