determine type of container elements from container iterator? (template problem)

Hi, I'm trying to make a very basic selection sort alogirithm into a template function:

Code:

template<class _RI>
void selectionSort(_RI begin, _RI end) {

    T lowest; // stores lowest value that has been compared

    for(_RI sortedElems = begin; sortedElems != end - 1; sortedElems++)
    {
        lowest = *sortedElems; // lowest equals first unsorted element
        for(_RI iter = sortedElems + 1; iter != end; iter++)
        {
            if(lowest > *iter) // 
            {
                swap(lowest, *iter);
            }
        }//end for iter
        *sortedElems = lowest;
    }//end for sortedElems

    return;
}//end selectionSort()

The obvious link time error is that the template has no way of determining what type "T lowest" should be. I know it should be the same type as (*begin), but is there any way to use that information to make a variable of the proper type? One quick workaround I'd though of was to have the caller pass the value of the first element, but if possible I'd like to follow the format of the algorithm library.

Thank you

just noticed that all STL containers define C::value_type. Seems like it might be important, but I can't figure out how it could be used.

>just noticed that all STL containers define C::value_type
You could use value_type, but then you wouldn't be able to sort arrays because they don't have such a member. You're thinking about it the wrong way, _RI is the right type:

Code:

template<class _RI>
void selectionSort(_RI begin, _RI end) {
    _RI lowest; // stores lowest value that has been compared

    for(_RI sortedElems = begin; sortedElems != end - 1; sortedElems++)
    {
        lowest = sortedElems; // lowest equals first unsorted element
        for(_RI iter = sortedElems + 1; iter != end; iter++)
        {
            if(*lowest > *iter) // 
            {
                swap(*lowest, *iter);
            }
        }//end for iter
        *sortedElems = *lowest;
    }//end for sortedElems

    return;
}//end selectionSort()

Thank you prelude. My pointer logic isn't very good, so I had to run through that a few times with paper and pencil, but it makes perfect sense now.

>so I had to run through that a few times with paper and pencil
A pencil and paper is to programmers what duct tape is to everyone else.