[fpc-devel] Re: enumerators

[Alexander Klenin]

On Sun, Nov 14, 2010 at 08:52, Graeme Geldenhuys
<graemeg.lists at gmail.com> wrote:
> If you use full-blown Iterator classes (instead of just for-in style)
> you get a lot more too:
>
>  * full control over iteration
>   - move forward
>   - move back
>   - reset iteration
>   - peek forward/back
>   - skip, etc...
>  * you can extent it with regular expressions to only iterate what is
> applicable, and what
>   matches the regex.
>  * you completely hide the container implementation (TList,
> TObjectList, TFPList, etc)
>   and simply supply the developer with a consistent iteration
> interface. So even if the
>   container implementation changes, the higher level iteration code will not.

I agree that a more powerful iterator interface would be a good thing too.
However, the clarity and brevity of for..in interface should not be
underestimated.
I eagerly await a moment when Lazarus switches to FPC 2.4.2 so I could
use for..in in the Lazarus code ;-)
If your extended iterator implements enumerator interface,
you can get the best of both worlds, especially if the "index" extension
I proposed at the end of the page is implemented.

-- 
Alexander S. Klenin