Question

I’ve never implemented STL-like iterators and I try to understand how to implement a very basic thing based on pointers. Once I will have this class I will be able to modify it to do more complicated things. Consequently, this is a first step, and I need it to be rock solid to understand how to write my own iterators (without boost).

I have written the following code and I know that there are errors in it. Can you help me to design correctly a Random Access Iterator class inspired from that :

template<Type> class Container<Type>::Iterator : public std::iterator<random_access_iterator_tag, Type>
{
    // Lifecycle:
    public:
        Iterator() : _ptr(nullptr) {;}
        Iterator(Type* rhs) : _ptr(rhs) {;}
        Iterator(const Iterator &rhs) : _ptr(rhs._ptr) {;}

    // Operators : misc
    public:
        inline Iterator& operator=(Type* rhs) {_ptr = rhs; return *this;}
        inline Iterator& operator=(const Iterator &rhs) {_ptr = rhs._ptr; return *this;}
        inline Iterator& operator+=(const int& rhs) {_ptr += rhs; return *this;}
        inline Iterator& operator-=(const int& rhs) {_ptr -= rhs; return *this;}
        inline Type& operator*() {return *_ptr;}
        inline Type* operator->() {return _ptr;}
        inline Type& operator[](const int& rhs) {return _ptr[rhs];}

    // Operators : arithmetic
    public:
        inline Iterator& operator++() {++_ptr; return *this;}
        inline Iterator& operator--() {--_ptr; return *this;}
        inline Iterator& operator++(int) {Iterator tmp(*this); ++_ptr; return tmp;}
        inline Iterator& operator--(int) {Iterator tmp(*this); --_ptr; return tmp;}
        inline Iterator operator+(const Iterator& rhs) {return Iterator(_ptr+rhs.ptr);}
        inline Iterator operator-(const Iterator& rhs) {return Iterator(_ptr-rhs.ptr);}
        inline Iterator operator+(const int& rhs) {return Iterator(_ptr+rhs);}
        inline Iterator operator-(const int& rhs) {return Iterator(_ptr-rhs);}
        friend inline Iterator operator+(const int& lhs, const Iterator& rhs) {return Iterator(lhs+_ptr);}
        friend inline Iterator operator-(const int& lhs, const Iterator& rhs) {return Iterator(lhs-_ptr);}

    // Operators : comparison
    public:
        inline bool operator==(const Iterator& rhs) {return _ptr == rhs._ptr;}
        inline bool operator!=(const Iterator& rhs) {return _ptr != rhs._ptr;}
        inline bool operator>(const Iterator& rhs) {return _ptr > rhs._ptr;}
        inline bool operator<(const Iterator& rhs) {return _ptr < rhs._ptr;}
        inline bool operator>=(const Iterator& rhs) {return _ptr >= rhs._ptr;}
        inline bool operator<=(const Iterator& rhs) {return _ptr <= rhs._ptr;}

    // Data members
    protected:
        Type* _ptr;
};

Thank you very much.

Answer 1

In general your approach is right. The postfix increment/decrement operator should return by value, not by reference. I also have doubts about:

Iterator(Type* rhs) : _ptr(rhs) {;}

This tells everyone that this iterator class is implemented around pointers. I would try making this method only callable by the container. Same for assignment to a pointer.
Adding two iterators makes no sense to me (I would leave “iterator+int”). Substracting two iterators pointing to the same container might make some sense.