cgal/Circulator/doc_tex/Handle/pointer.tex

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% $Id$
% $Date$
%\ccUserChapter{Handles} \label{I1_ChapterPointer}
\section{Handles}
%\section{Definition}
Most data structures in \cgal\ use the concept of \ccc{Handle} in their user
interface to refer to the elements they store. This concept describes what is
sometimes called a trivial iterator. A \ccc{Handle} is akeen to a pointer to
an object providing the dereference operator \ccc{operator*()} and member
access \ccc{operator->()} but no increment or decrement operators like
iterators. A \ccc{Handle} is intended to be used whenever the referenced
object is not part of a logical sequence.
\paragraph{Model for a handle}
A simple pointer \ccc{T*}, an iterator or a circulator with value type
\ccc{T}, are also handles.