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Item 13. Prefer const_iterators to iterators

Test Codes

$ g++ -std=c++14 const_iterator_test.cc&& ./a.out
const iterator type: NSt3__111__wrap_iterIPKiEE, is const: 0 0
      iterator type: NSt3__111__wrap_iterIPiEE, is const: 0 0
values: 1 2 3 100 4 200 5
$ 
$ # type of std::vector<int>::const_iterator
$ c++filt -t NSt3__111__wrap_iterIPKiEE
std::__1::__wrap_iter<int const*>
$ # type of std::vector<int>::iterator
$ c++filt -t NSt3__111__wrap_iterIPiEE
std::__1::__wrap_iter<int*>

Notes

  • The standard practice of using const whenever possible dictates that you should use const_iterators anytime you need an iterator, yet have no need to modify what the iterator points to.

    • That's as true for C++98 as for C++11.
    • But it's rarely worth in c++98 since const_iterators were so much trouble in C++98.
    • Now const_iterators are both easy to get and easy to use in C++11.
      • E.g. easy to get const_iterators by cbegin()/cend(), insert()/erase() uses const_iterators to identify positions, etc.

  • There's no portable conversion from a const_iterator to an iterator.

    • Not even with a static_cast.
    • Even the semantic sledgehammer known as reinterpret_cast can't do the job.
    • It's true in both C++98 and C++11.
    • const_iterators simply don't convert to iterators, no matter how much it might seem like they should.
    • From the sample in Test Codes,
      • type of std::vector<int>::const_iterator: std::__1::__wrap_iter<int const*>,
      • type of std::vector<int>::iterator: std::__1::__wrap_iter<int*>.
      • The differences between them are not whether themselves are const, but whether their base type are const.

  • An oversight during standardization:

    • C++11 added the non-member functions begin() and end(), but it failed to add cbegin()/cend()/rbegin()/rend()/crbegin()/crend().
    • C++14 rectifies the oversight.
    • If you're using C++11, you want to write maximally generic code, and none of the libraries you're using provides the missing templates for non-member cbegin() and friends, you can throw your own implementations together with ease.
    //E.g. an implementation of non-member `cbegin()`
    template<class C>
    auto cbegin(const C& container) -> decltype(std::begin(container)){
        return std::begin(container);
    }

References