STL分析（四 iterator traits）

iterator遵循的设计原则

由于iterator是关联Contrainer和algorithms的纽带，当algorithms想要通过iterator处理元素时，有几个问题需要Iterator回答给algorithms。

• iterator指向元素类型
• iterator的类别
• iterator的差的类型

template<typename _ForwardIterator>
    inline void
    rotate(_ForwardIterator __first,
           _ForwardIterator __middle
           _ForwardIterator __last)
    {
    ......
    std::__rotate(__first, __middle, __last,
                  std::__iterator_catagory(__first));
    }
 
 
template<typename _Iter>
    inline typename iterator_traits<_Iter>::iterator_category
    __iterator_category(const _Iter&)
    { return typename iterator_traits<_Iter>::iterator_category(); }
 
 
template<typename _RandomAccessIterator>
    void
    __rotate(_RandomAccessIterator __first,
             _RandomAccessIterator __middle,
             _RandomAccessIterator __last,
             random_access_iterator_tag)
{
......
    typedef typename iterator_traits<_RandomAccessIterator>::difference_type _Distance;
    typedef typename iterator_traits<_RandomAccessIterator>::value_type _ValueType;
    _Distance __n = __last - __first;
    _Distance __k = __middle - __first;
......
}

假如传给algorithms的是native pointer，则需要引入iterator traits，统一处理class iterator和native iterator

下面是iterator_traits源代码

template<class I>
struct iterator_traits{
    typedef typename I::iterator_category    iterator_category;
    typedef typename I::value_type           value_type;
    typedef typename I::difference_type      difference_type;
    typedef typename I::pointer              pointer;
    typedef typename I::reference            reference;
};
 
 
//partial specialization for regular pointers
template<class T>
struct iterator_traits<T*>{
    typedef random_access_iterator_tag    iterater_category;
    typedef T                             value_type;
    typedef ptrdiff_t                     difference_type;
    typedef T*                            pointer;
    typedef T&                            reference;
};
 
//partial specialization for regular const pointers
template<class T>
struct iterator_traits<const T*>{
    typedef random_access_iterator_tag    iterater_category;
    typedef T                             value_type;
    typedef ptrdiff_t                     difference_type;
    typedef const T*                      pointer;
    typedef const T&                      reference;
};

对于传入的native pointer情况进行偏特化，注意const* T的偏特化版本中value_type是T而不是const T，因为value_type是为了声明变量，而声明一个无法赋值的变量没有用。