First, the working code: #include #include #include <iostream> #include <string> #include <map> using namespace std; struct message { string mtablename; unsigned long long mpk; message(const string& tablename, const unsigned long long pk) : mtablename(tablename), mpk(pk) { } }; typedef boost::function < void, unsigned long long > MessageFunctor; typedef multimap < string, MessageFunctor > MessageFunctorMap; typedef pair < MessageFunctorMap::iterator, MessageFunctorMap::iterator > MessageFunctorTableMapIteratorPair; void callfunctor(pair < string, MessageFunctor > item, unsigned long long pk) { item.second(pk); } class MessageCenter { MessageFunctorMap mHandlerMap; public: MessageCenter() { } void sendMessage(message& amessage) { MessageFunctorTableMapIteratorPair iterPair = mHandlerMap.equal_range(amessage.mtablename); std::for_each(iterPair.first, iterPair.second, boost::bind (&callfunctor, _1, amessage.mpk)); // QUESTION LINE } void addHandler(string tableName, MessageFunctor handler) { mHandlerMap.insert(make_pair(tableName, handler)); } }; int gFooCounter = 0; void fooHandler(unsigned long long x) { cout << "fooHandler called on pk=" << x << endl; gFooCounter++; } void gooHandler(unsigned long long x){} int main(int argc, const char** argv) { MessageCenter messageCenter; messageCenter.addHandler("foo", fooHandler); messageCenter.addHandler("foo", fooHandler); messageCenter.addHandler("goo", gooHandler); // send some messages message fooMessage("foo", 123); messageCenter.sendMessage(fooMessage); if(gFooCounter != 2) cerr << "something didn't work"; else cout << "everything worked..." << endl; return 0; } now for the question: on the line labeled "QUESTION LINE", you can see that I'm binding to a functor called "callfunctor". All callfunctor does is call the functor embedded in the map's pair. Is there a way to simplify the line in question so that I don't need to create the functor just to get access to the pair.second member? -Darin