[Patch] First bits of the algo merge

[Howard Hinnant]

On Dec 15, 2005, at 10:52 AM, Howard Hinnant wrote:

> Fwiw, here's an updated exploration tool.

I'm not positive yet, but I think I may be getting close to a test  
case that shows METHOD_A is non-conforming (which is something I  
first did not suspect).  If you start out with something like:

template <typename T>
class iterator
{
     class proxy
     {
         friend class iterator;
         iterator* const iter_;

         explicit proxy(iterator* iter) : iter_(iter) {}
     public:
         operator T () const  {return iter_->deref();}

         T& operator= (const T& rh) {return iter_->deref() = rh;}
         T& operator= (proxy& p) {*iter_ = *p.iter_; return *iter_;}
         proxy(proxy& p) : iter_(p.iter_) {}
     };
...

I.e. the proxy is designed to be non-copyable.  You can dereference  
the iterator and get the value_type.  But you can't dereference the  
iterator and save or copy the reference/proxy.  The iterator can  
return a proxy with the given copy ctor:

     proxy operator*() {proxy p(this); return p;}

But that's the only way the client can get a proxy.  And once it is  
an rvalue, it can't be copied again.  You can only convert it to a T,  
or assign a T through it.

Such an iterator would only qualify as an input iterator, but  
otherwise I think would be conforming, reference 24.1.1p2, table row:

*a      convertible to T

Such a proxy breaks A, but not B or C.

Note that I do not mean to imply that this proves B is conforming, it  
does not.  But I think it may prove A is non-conforming.

> I'd like to ask your opinion (guess) about these two related issues:
>
> 1- Using strumentally the improved algorithm simplification  
> strategy is
> the only relatively simple way to substantially improve on that QoI
> issue or you can imagine/suggest other (better?) ways?

Sorry, I'm not completely parsing this one.

> 2- Can you figure out relevant use cases that we would get wrong  
> anyway
> with the improved __ops::equal_to & co?

I will redouble my efforts to try and prove B non-conforming.

-Howard