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### 3188. `istreambuf_iterator::pointer` should not be unspecified

Section: 25.6.4 [istreambuf.iterator] Status: New Submitter: Jonathan Wakely Opened: 2019-02-21 Last modified: 2019-10-30

Priority: 3

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Discussion:

The current working paper requires `iterator_traits<Iter>::pointer` to be `void` if `Iter` doesn't define `operator->` (25.3.2.3 [iterator.traits]). We recently removed `operator->` from `istreambuf_iterator` via LWG 2790, therefore either its `pointer` member should be `void`, or there should be a partial specialization of `iterator_traits`. Do we want to change unspecified to `void` in the class synopsis in [istreambuf.iterator]?

[2019-03-03, Daniel provides concrete wording]

[2019-03-05 Priority set to 3 after reflector discussion]

[2019-03-05, Daniel comments]

With the acceptance of P1252R2 the committee decided to deprecate `operator->` of `move_iterator`, interestingly without mentioning what should happen with its current `pointer` typedef (which is equal to the template parameter `Iterator` and thus never `void`). Effectively this is a very similar situation as for the here discussed `istreambuf_iterator` case and it seems attractive to me to solve both cases similarly.

[2019-10-30, Jonathan comments]

Also, `reverse_iterator::operator->()` is now constrained and so not always defined, but `reverse_iterator::pointer` is defined unconditionally.

Proposed resolution:

This wording is relative to N4800.

1. Change class template `istreambuf_iterator` synopsis, 25.6.4 [istreambuf.iterator], as indicated:

   >     template<class charT, class traits = char_traits<charT>>
   >     class istreambuf_iterator {
   >     public:
   >       using iterator_category = input_iterator_tag;
   >       using value_type        = charT;
   >       using difference_type   = typename traits::off_type;
   >       using pointer           = voidunspecified;
   >       using reference         = charT;
   >       […]
   >     };