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### 1320. Header for `iter_swap`

Section: 23.2 [iterator.synopsis] Status: NAD Submitter: Alisdair Meredith Opened: 2010-02-16 Last modified: 2017-06-05

Priority: Not Prioritized

View all other issues in [iterator.synopsis].

View all issues with NAD status.

Discussion:

The `iter_swap` function template appears in the `<algorithm>` header, yet its main use is in building further algorithms, not calling existing ones. The main clients are implementers of data structures and their iterators, so it seems most appropriate to place the template in the `<iterator>` header instead.

Note that this is not an issue for implementers of the standard library, as they rarely use the standard headers directly, designing a more fine-grained set of headers for their own internal use. This option is not available to customers of the standard library.

Note that we cannot remove `iter_swap` from `<algorithm>` without breaking code, but there is no reason we cannot offer the same declaration via two standard headers. Alternatively, require `<algorithm>` to `#include <iterator>`, but introducing the dependency on the iterator adaptors seems un-necessary.

[ ]

Discussed possibly moving to `<utility>` but don't like that. Some not seeing this as a defect, and want to keep it in `<algorithm>`. No one seems to feel strongly about moving to `<iterator>`.

[2017-02 in Kona, LEWG recommends NAD]

[2017-06-02 Issues Telecon]

Resolve as NAD

Proposed resolution:

Add the declaration of `iter_swap` to the `<iterator>` header synopsis (23.2 [iterator.synopsis]), with a note that it is documented in clause 25 [algorithms].

>     ...
>     template <class T, size_t N> T* end(T (&array)[N]);

>     // documented in 25 [algorithms]
>     template<class ForwardIterator1, class ForwardIterator2>
>       void iter_swap(ForwardIterator1 a, ForwardIterator2 b);