Iterators

#include <vector>
using std::vector;

int main() 
{
	vector<Date> e;
	copy(istream_iterator<Date>(cin), istream_iterator<Date>(), back_inserter(e));

	// the find() algorithm returns its second argument(e.end()) if the value is not found.
	// one-past-the-end. it is not a valid iterator.
	vector<Date>::iterator first = find(e.begin(), e.end(), "01/01/95");	
	vector<Date>::iterator last = find(e.begin(), e.end(), "12/31/95"); 
	*last = "12/30/95"; // 
	
	// [first, last).	first == e.end();? 
	copy(first, last, ostream_iterator<Date>(cout, "\n"));

	//  C++ language doesn't allow you to modify temporaries of builtin type.	
	// 	Date* f();
	// 	p = --f();	error, but could be "f() -1"

	// second: e is empty? the iterator before e.end() will not be a valid iterator.
	e.insert(--e.end(), TodaysDate());

	// a vector grows so that it won't have to reallocate its buffer every time you insert
	// something into it. However, sometimes the vector will be full, and adding something
	// will trigger a reallocation.
	copy(first, last, ostream_iterator<Date>(cout, "\n"));

	// to summarize:
	// 1. *e.end()	2. lifetimes	
	// 3. valid ranges: [first, last) and point into same container
	// 4. illegal builtin manipulation.
}