Re: [boost] [containers] Clarifications on incomplete type support?

Subject: Re: [boost] [containers] Clarifications on incomplete type support?
From: Ion Gaztañaga (igaztanaga_at_[hidden])
Date: 2014-09-22 16:56:02

El 22/09/2014 19:34, Mikael Persson wrote:

> [snip]
>
> What my problem basically boils down to is being able to have a recursive
> data structure with "back-pointers" (as iterators). Like this:

Thanks for the example. Back-pointers seem to be a very useful feature. 
I've merged your pull request, added the guarantee to instantiate 
iterators to containers of incomplete types and updated the recursive 
container example. I don't know if more explicit guarantees should be 
given both for containers and iterators. For example, this compiles:

#include <boost/container/vector.hpp>

struct I;

int main()
{
    static boost::container::vector<I> *p;
    p->size();
    return 0;
}

but I think it would be too much work to specify which operations work 
with incomplete types. Have you found any need to support member 
functions of containers of incomplete types?

Best,

Ion