// sequence.hpp

#ifndef _SEQUENCE_HPP
#define _SEQUENCE_HPP


template<typename _Iterator> class Sequence;


// create_sequence
//  returns a Sequence object.
//  The advantage of using this function over calling the Sequence constructor
//  is that the compiler can automatically infer the type of _Iterator.
template<typename _Iterator>
  inline Sequence<_Iterator>
  create_sequence(_Iterator begin_iterator, _Iterator end_iterator)
  {
    return Sequence<_Iterator>(begin_iterator, end_iterator);
  }


template<typename _Iterator>
  struct Sequence
  {
    typedef _Iterator iterator;
    _Iterator begin_iterator, end_iterator;
    inline Sequence(/*const*/ _Iterator begin_iterator_, /*const*/ _Iterator end_iterator_ )
      : begin_iterator( begin_iterator_ ), end_iterator( end_iterator_  )
    {}
    inline _Iterator begin() const { return begin_iterator; }
    inline _Iterator end() const   { return end_iterator; }
  };


// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------


template<typename _Sequence>
  inline Sequence<typename _Sequence::iterator> without_first_element(/*const*/ _Sequence seq)
  {
    typename _Sequence::iterator begin_it = seq.begin();
    ++begin_it;
    return create_sequence(begin_it, seq.end());
  }

template<typename _Sequence>
  inline Sequence<typename _Sequence::iterator> without_last_element(/*const*/ _Sequence seq)
  {
    typename _Sequence::iterator end_it = seq.end();
    --end_it;
    return create_sequence(seq.begin(), end_it);
  }


#endif // _SEQUENCE_HPP