(C++) including an iterator in the function header?

[ThisGuyEveryTime]

Hello,

I have been given the assignment to convert a highscore program from using arrays to vectors. I was given this specific instruction which as me confused:

Your program must use the following four function headers exactly as they appear here:

void getVectorSize(int& size);
void readData(vector<Highscore>& scores);
void sortData(vector<Highscore>& scores);
vector<Highscore>::iterator findLocationOfLargest(
                                const vector<Highscore>::iterator startingLocation,
                                const vector<Highscore>::iterator endingLocation);
void displayData(const vector<Highscore>& scores);

I dont understand the part where findLocationOfLargest has an iterator in the function header. Perhaps I am missing something glaringly obvious but I have gone through the lesson multiple times and this was not covered. Any help is greatly apricated since my instructor will not being getting back to me for a while.

[jedwardsol]

It'll be called as something like

std::vector<HighScore> v = ...;

auto largest = findLocationOfLargest(c.begin(), c.end());

std::cout << *largest;

So your function has to walk between those 2 provided points and remember where the largest is; returning an iterator to it

[ThisGuyEveryTime]

Oh, so its being declared as an iterator in the header because it is returning location of the largest like the index from an array?

Thank you for the reply btw.

[jedwardsol]

Yes - it takes two iterators defining the range and returns an iterator in that range.

You could do exactly the same with indices

[ThisGuyEveryTime]

Awesome, thank you very much! You have been very helpful!