accessing objects in my list

Code:

int main()
{

	list<item> itemList;

	itemList.push_back(item( "font", "qwer" ));
	itemList.push_back(item( "2", "qwer" ));
	itemList.push_back(item( "3", "qwer" ));
	itemList.push_back(item( "4", "qwer" ));
	itemList.push_back(item( "back", "qwer" ));

	list<item>::iterator iter;
	iter = itemList.begin();

	while ( iter != itemList.end() )
	{
		cout << *iter;
		//cout << *iter.getProductID(); //this wont work
		iter++;
	}

for a progamming assignment ive created a list that contains a growing number of objects. using an itorator to browse threw the list im able to actually cout the item objects because i overloaded the << operator.

unfortunatly i have no idea how i would now gain access to the rest of the functions that my iter is on. if i uncomment the line above heres what i get.

Code:

error C2039: 'getProductID' : is not a member of 'iterator'

i know that technically iter is just a pointer to my objects, but if i dereference it then why wouldnt it be able to use it owns functions???

thanks for any help that somebody might provide. ill be watching this topic closely.

You need to mind your order of operations. The dot operator binds more tightly than dereferencing. You need to use (*iter).getProductID(). Or what is essentially its synonym: iter->getProductID().

ya know...

i knew it'd be something like this. my teacher explained something like this as well. basically the -> operator says iter poitns to what ever type it is an can access the data right?

still though it makes me wonder just what was exactly going on with my code since it use the dot (?) operator first.

thanks for such a quick response. im sure ill run into other trouble soon enough.