Christian Engström <christian.engstrom@glindra.org> writes:
Class proxy_iterator
To get operator-> working in the same way as for a Container<T>, we define the classes proxy_iterator and const_proxy_iterator.
A proxy_iterator is publicly derived from the iterator of the underlying Container< proxy<T> >.
And if that iterator happens to be a pointer?
It works just like standard iterator in all respects except one, which is that operator-> does a double dereferencing, so that it will deliver a pointer to the T object itself. This lets us use the -> operator in the same way that we would with a direct container. operator* is not changed, however, and retains its single dereferencing semantics.
Are we really allowed to define these operators like this? --Yes, we are.
No you're not. The standard makes it very clear that the semantics of an iterator's operator-> must correspond to those of its operator*. The design makes several other wrong assumptions about iterator requirements. I suggest checking out the Boost iterator library for correct iterator construction. indirect_iterator may already suit your needs. -- Dave Abrahams Boost Consulting www.boost-consulting.com