[C++] Should the complexity of std::list::size() be O(n) or O(1)?

[Gabriel Dos Reis]

Howard Hinnant <hhinnant@apple.com> writes:

[...]

| Conclusion:  Yes, you can store the size externally.  But you loose
| performance and/or functionality in the above members that will also
| have to be recoded.

I think I'm still unconvinced that we have to change list::size, here.

Since it was a mistake to put it there in the first place, why shall
we penalize proper list operations by trying to make an error run faster?

-- Gaby