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## Concept ForwardIterator

ForwardIterator

## Description

A forward iterator is an iterator that can read through a sequence of values. It is multi-pass (old values of the iterator can be re-used), and can be either mutable (data pointed to by it can be changed) or not mutable.

An iterator represents a position in a sequence. Therefore, the iterator can point into the sequence (returning a value when dereferenced and being incrementable), or be off-the-end (and not dereferenceable or incrementable).

## Refinement of

- InputIterator

- OutputIterator

## Associated types

- value_type

      std::iterator_traits<Iter>::value_type

  The value type of the iterator

- category

      std::iterator_traits<Iter>::iterator_category

  The category of the iterator

## Notation

Iter
  A type playing the role of iterator-type in the ForwardIterator concept.
`i`, `j`
  Objects of type Iter
`x`
  Object of type value_type

## Type expressions

Category tag

  category must be derived from std::forward_iterator_tag.

## Valid expressions

Name | Expression | Type | Precondition | Semantics | Postcondition
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Dereference | *i | const-if-not-mutable value_type & | `i` is incrementable (not off-the-end) |  |
Member access | i->{member-name} (return type is pointer-to-object type) | const-if-not-mutable value_type * | `i` is incrementable (not off-the-end) |  |
Preincrement | ++i | Iter & | `i` is incrementable (not off-the-end) |  |
Postincrement | i++ | Iter | `i` is incrementable (not off-the-end) | Equivalent to `{Iter j = i; ++i; return j;}` | `i` is dereferenceable or off-the-end

## Complexity

All iterator operations must take amortized constant time.

## Invariants

Predecrement must return object

  `&i = &(++i)`

Unique path through sequence

  `i == j` implies `++i == ++j`

## Models

- T *
- std::hash_set<T>::iterator

## See also

- BidirectionalIterator