Return *any* container

I was just converting a function from

bool SaveStringList(const std::vector<std::string>& strList, const std::string& fileName)

to

template<class InputIterator>
bool SaveStringList(InputIterator first, InputIterator last, const std::string& fileName)

so it can take any container type. I wanted to do the same with
std::vector<std::string> LoadStringList(const std::string& fileName)

Where it returns any container type. Anyone know a way i can do this?

Instead of returning a container, take an iterator to the start of a range. Iterator adapters like back_inserter() can then be used to add elements to a container via an iterator to its first element.

Hmmm, i'm new to iterators but i'm assuming that would look like this..?:

Code:

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std::vector<std::string> strList;
LoadStringList(strList.begin(), "somefile.txt");

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Is there anyway i can have it like this:

Code:

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std::vector<std::string> strList = LoadStringList("somefile.txt");

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or

Code:

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std::vector<std::string> strList = LoadStringList<std::vector>("somefile.txt");

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Quote:

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Hmmm, i'm new to iterators but i'm assuming that would look like this..?

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Yes, but if you do not use an iterator adapter, it implies that your container already has as many elements as is needed.

Quote:

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Is there anyway i can have it like this:

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Yes, you could do the latter, e.g.,

Code:

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template<class T>
T LoadStringList(const std::string& fileName)
{
    T container;
    // ...
    return container;
}

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You cannot use the former since the template argument cannot be deduced from the function template argument.

Ok thanks i've gone with your way. Is this how it should look?

Code:

---

template <class T>
bool LoadStringList(T& strList, const std::string& fileName)
{
    char line[0xFFFF];
    std::back_insert_iterator<T> it = back_inserter(strList);
    ...
}

std::vector<std::string> strList;
LoadStringList(strList, "somefile.txt");

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Hmmm ok i have a new problem. This "back_inserter" method doesn't work on the container std::set. It says there is no member named push_back (which i assume back_insert::operator=() calls).

BTW: Is std::set the correct container to use? The container i need has to store unique strings. I don't want it to add a new string if the string already exists.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 39ster

Ok thanks i've gone with your way. Is this how it should look?

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No, the function should take the iterator as an argument, not the container. As you've seen, you otherwise run into problems with std::set.

Code:

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template <typename Iter>
void LoadStringList(Iter it, const std::string &filename)
{
  // ...
  *it = str;
  ++it;
  // ...
}

void into_vector()
{
  std::vector<std::string> v;
  LoadStringList(std::back_inserter(v), filename);
}

void into_set()
{
  std::set<std::string> s;
  LoadStringList(std::inserter(s), filename);
}

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I'm not 100% sure about the name of the insertion iterator that works with std::set.