Re: [boost] Boost.Algorithm design question

Subject: Re: [boost] Boost.Algorithm design question
From: Marshall Clow (mclow.lists_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-10-05 19:57:01

On Oct 5, 2011, at 3:53 PM, Stephan T. Lavavej wrote:

> [Marshall Clow]
>> So, what do people prefer (and why?):
> 
>> template<typename InputIterator, typename V> 
>> bool none_of_equal ( InputIterator first, InputIterator last, V const &val ) 
> 
>> or
> 
>> template<typename InputIterator, > 
>> bool none_of_equal ( InputIterator first, InputIterator last, iterator_traits<InputIterator>::value_type const &val ) 
> 
>> In the first case, I think there's (possible) conversion from V to iterator_traits<InputIterator>::value_type each time through the loop.
>> In the second case, there is not.
> 
> #1 is better. It follows the STL's conventions (e.g. look at std::find()) and permits heterogeneous comparisons.
> 
> Consider vector<string> and val being "meow". string is directly comparable to const char *, without any conversions or temporaries.
> 
> Even better, consider vector<const char *> and val being a string. Here, the element type is still directly comparable to val's type, but val's type is not implicitly convertible to the element type.
> 
> It is true that #1 can result in O(N) conversions, but that's really up to the element/value types involved. Typically, whenever the value type is implicitly convertible to the element type, and the element type is comparable with itself, a direct comparison between the two types could also be provided (as is the case with const char * and string), and will be provided when performance is important.
> 
> Heterogeneous comparisons are surprisingly popular, and the STL is moving to support them better. For example, std::lower_bound() didn't support them in C++03, and does in C++11. std::map still doesn't, and users complain about it from time to time.

Thanks for explaining the rationale.
That's what I was looking for.

-- Marshall

Marshall Clow     Idio Software   <mailto:mclow.lists_at_[hidden]>

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