Given the program below, can anybody modify the template display
function so the displayed lists have [brackets around them,] and
commas between each item, plus if the list is longer than 5 items,
then only the first 3 and the last two items are displayed, the
missing items should be replaced by 3 dots in a row(...)

the program also needs to include the defenition of the display
function()so that it runs without errors!!!!!!


********************************************************************************

#pragma warning(disable: 4786) // advised for MSVC++5.0

#include <list>
#include <string>
#include <iostream>
#include <algorithm>

using namespace std;

template<class iT>
void display (iT start, iT finish)

 {
   for (iT it=start; it != finish; it++)
   {
    cout<<*it<< ' ';
   }
}

void main()

{

       list<string> critters;
       int i;

  critters.insert(critters.begin(),"antelope"); // antelope
  critters.insert(critters.begin(),"bear");     // bear antelope
  critters.insert(critters.begin(),"cat");      // cat bear antelope

  display(critters.begin(),critters.end());

  *find(critters.begin(),critters.end(),"cat") = "cougar"; // cougar
bear antelope

  display(critters.begin(),critters.end());

  // Put a zebra at the beginning, an ocelot ahead of antelope,
  // and a rat at the end.
  critters.push_front("zebra");
  critters.insert(find(critters.begin(),critters.end(),"antelope"),"ocelot");
  critters.push_back("rat");
  display(critters.begin(),critters.end());

  critters.sort();
  display(critters.begin(),critters.end());

  // Now let's erase half of the critters.
  int half = critters.size() / 2;
  for (i = 0; i < half; i++)
  {
    critters.erase(critters.begin());
  }
  display(critters.begin(),critters.end());
  
}

Here is the replacement display function.  NOTE: The Answer box may
wrap lines of code incorrectly.
void display (iT start, iT finish) 
{
iT        it;
int        cnt;
int        loop;
int        no_go;
int        end_list_items;

// Change these variables to change how many
// items your list displays
int        start_list_items = 3;
int        max_list_items = 5;

    end_list_items = max_list_items - start_list_items;
    cnt = 0;

    // Find out if we need the ... by counting elements
    for (it=start; it != finish; it++) 
       { 
        cnt++;
    }

    loop = 1;
    no_go = 0;
    cout << '[';
    for (it=start; it != finish; it++) 
       { 
        if(cnt > max_list_items)
        {
            if((loop > start_list_items) && (loop <= (cnt -
end_list_items)))
            {
                no_go = 1;
                if(loop == (start_list_items + 1)) cout << "... ";
            }
            else
            {
                no_go = 0;
            }
        }
        if(no_go == 0)
        {
                cout << *it; 
            if(loop < cnt)
            {
                if((cnt > max_list_items) && (loop ==
start_list_items))
                {
                    cout << " ";
                }
                else
                {
                    cout << ", ";
                }
            }
        }
        loop++;
    }
   cout << "]\n";
} 

- Hammer

Thank you very much...
Purplepit

have good code


#include <list> 
#include <string> 
#include <iostream> 
#include <algorithm> 
 
using namespace std; 
 
template<class iT> 
void display (iT start, iT finish) 
{ 
   iT it = start; 
   int count = 0; 
   while( it != finish) // find the number of item
   { 
   		count++;
   		it++;
   }
      
   if(count < 5) // if the number < 5
   {	// display normally with '[' and ','
   		int index = 1;
   		it = start;
   		cout << "[" ;
   		while( it != finish) 
   		{ 
   			cout << *it ;
   			if(index != count ) cout << ",";
   			index++;
   			it++;
   		}
   		cout << "]" ;
   }
   else
   {    // else the first 3 item and the last 2 ones are displayed
   		int index2 = 2;
   		it = start;
   		cout << "[" << 	*it << "," << *it++ << "," << *it++;
   		while(index2 != count-2)
   		{
   			it++;
   			index2++;
   		}
   		cout << ",...," << *it << "," << *it++ << "]";
   }
   cout << endl;
} 
 
void main() 
{ 
 
  list<string> critters; 
  int i; 
 
  critters.insert(critters.begin(),"antelope"); // antelope 
  critters.insert(critters.begin(),"bear");     // bear antelope 
  critters.insert(critters.begin(),"cat");      // cat bear antelope 
 
  display(critters.begin(),critters.end()); 
 
  *find(critters.begin(),critters.end(),"cat") = "cougar"; // cougar bear antelope
 
  display(critters.begin(),critters.end()); 
 
  // Put a zebra at the beginning, an ocelot ahead of antelope, 
  // and a rat at the end. 
  critters.push_front("zebra"); 
  critters.insert(find(critters.begin(),critters.end(),"antelope"),"ocelot");
  critters.push_back("rat"); 
  display(critters.begin(),critters.end()); 
 
  critters.sort(); 
  display(critters.begin(),critters.end()); 
 
  // Now let's erase half of the critters. 
  int half = critters.size() / 2; 
  for (i = 0; i < half; i++) 
  { 
    critters.erase(critters.begin()); 
  } 
  display(critters.begin(),critters.end()); 
   
}

a better one 

#include <list> 
#include <string> 
#include <iostream> 
#include <algorithm> 
 
using namespace std; 
 
template<class iT> 
void display (iT start, iT finish) 
{ 
   iT it = start; 
   int count = 0; 
   while( it != finish) // find the number of item
   { 
   		count++;
   		it++;
   }
      
   if(count <= 5) // if the number <= 5
   {	// display normally with '[' and ','
   		int index = 1;
   		it = start;
   		cout << "[" ;
   		while( it != finish) 
   		{ 
   			cout << *it ;
   			if(index != count ) cout << ",";
   			index++;
   			it++;
   		}
   		cout << "]" ;
   }
   else
   {    // else the first 3 item and the last 2 ones are displayed
   		int index2 = 2;
   		it = start;
   		cout << "[" << 	*it << "," << *it++ << "," << *it++;
   		while(index2 != count-2)
   		{
   			it++;
   			index2++;
   		}
   		cout << ",...," << *it << "," << *it++ << "]";
   }
   cout << endl;
} 
 
void main() 
{ 
 
  list<string> critters; 
  int i; 
 
  critters.insert(critters.begin(),"antelope"); // antelope 
  critters.insert(critters.begin(),"bear");     // bear antelope 
  //critters.insert(critters.begin(),"cat");      // cat bear antelope 
 
  display(critters.begin(),critters.end()); 
 
  *find(critters.begin(),critters.end(),"cat") = "cougar"; // cougar bear antelope
 
  display(critters.begin(),critters.end()); 
 
  // Put a zebra at the beginning, an ocelot ahead of antelope, 
  // and a rat at the end. 
  critters.push_front("zebra"); 
  critters.insert(find(critters.begin(),critters.end(),"antelope"),"ocelot");
  critters.push_back("rat"); 
  display(critters.begin(),critters.end()); 
 
  critters.sort(); 
  display(critters.begin(),critters.end()); 
 
  // Now let's erase half of the critters. 
  int half = critters.size() / 2; 
  for (i = 0; i < half; i++) 
  { 
    critters.erase(critters.begin()); 
  } 
  display(critters.begin(),critters.end()); 
   
}

Thank you very much, this was extremly helpful....
#Purplepit