Re: [boost] distance operation (24.3.4)

From: David Benbennick (dbenbenn_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-03-16 05:25:03

On 3/16/06, AlisdairM <alisdair.meredith_at_[hidden]> wrote:
> const char * is not a random access iterator because it is not an
> output iterator, therfore not a forward iterator, therefore not a
> bidirectional iterator and therefore not a random access iterator - 24.1

I think that is wrong.  Forward iterators are not output iterators. 
See http://www.sgi.com/tech/stl/ForwardIterator.html  The only
expressions a forward iterator has to support are x++ and ++x.  Also,
http://www.sgi.com/tech/stl/RandomAccessIterator.html specifically
says the iterator has to support assignment only if its type is
mutable.  For example, vector<T>::const_iterator is a random access
iterator.