copy() algorithm in the C++ Standard Template Library (STL)

[Luke Chang]

The copy() algorithm in the C++ STL takes on the following implementation:

template <class InputIterator, class OutputIterator>
OutputIterator copy(InputIterator first, InputIterator last,
                    OutputIterator result);

The copy() algorithm should NOT allow result to be in the range [first,
last].  But
g++ version 3.0 violates this rule.  

I have a C++ program as follows:

    #include <algorithm>
    #include <iostream>
    using namespace std;
    const unsigned short int array_size = 10; // same as but better than
#define

    int main() {
      int i, ar[array_size];
      fill(ar, ar + array_size, 0);
      for (i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
        ar[i] = i + 1;
      }

      cout << "Initial ar[]:" << endl;
      copy(ar, ar + array_size, ostream_iterator<int>(cout, " "));
      cout << endl;

      copy(ar, ar + (array_size / 2), ar + 3);
      cout << "After first copy:" << endl;
      copy(ar, ar + array_size, ostream_iterator<int>(cout, " "));
      cout << endl;

      return 0;
    }

g++ 3.0 compiles this program just fine.  If we follow the rule that result 
MUST NOT be in the range [first, last], then I expect the output to be:

    Initial ar[]:
    1 2 3 4 5 0 0 0 0 0 
    After first copy:
    1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 0 0 

Borland produces this output.

But g++ version 3.0 gives the following output:

    Initial ar[]:
    1 2 3 4 5 0 0 0 0 0 
    After first copy:
    1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 0 0 

I checked several Web sites that discuss the copy() algorithm and all of
them
clearly specify that result MUST NOT be in the range [first, last].  This
means
the output that g++ version 3.0 produces is wrong for my C++ program.

Luke Chang
Lowell, MA