22 Iterators library [iterators]

22.2 Iterator requirements [iterator.requirements]

22.2.6 Bidirectional iterators [bidirectional.iterators]

A class or pointer type X satisfies the requirements of a bidirectional iterator if, in addition to satisfying the Cpp17ForwardIterator requirements, the following expressions are valid as shown in Table 79.
Table 79 — Cpp17BidirectionalIterator requirements (in addition to Cpp17ForwardIterator)
Expression
Return type
Operational
Assertion/note
semantics
pre-/post-condition
--r
X&
Requires: there exists s such that r == ++s.

Ensures: r is dereferenceable.

--(++r) == r.

--r == --s implies r == s.

&r == &--r.
r--
convertible to const X&
{ X tmp = r;
--r;
return tmp; }
*r--
reference
[ Note
:
Bidirectional iterators allow algorithms to move iterators backward as well as forward.
— end note
 ]