Re: [boost] [iterators] iterator_facade

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-10-06 12:24:58

"Robert Jones" <robertgbjones_at_[hidden]> writes:

> The boost documentation recommends implementing iterator_core_access
> methods as private static members

No, not really.  It just recommends implementing private nonstatic
member functions with similar signatures to the static member
functions used by iterator_core_access.  

Incidentally, you shouldn't be looking at those static member
functions.  They're not documented for a reason: the interface to
iterator_core_access is an implementation detail of the library :)

> and then making the class a friend of classes derived from
> iterator_facade.
>
> Why is this preferred to the approach of making
> iterator_core_access a private base of iterator_facade?

Your suggestion doesn't make any sense to me: the recommendation is
for users of iterator_facade, who don't get to control its base
classes.

Maybe you meant to suggest making iterator_core_access a private base
of the iterator class derived from iterator_facade?  That wouldn't
help, as we're not overriding virtual functions.

-- 
Dave Abrahams
Boost Consulting
www.boost-consulting.com