Iterators::end

The greatest benefit of moving vectors and maps into the base language is an improvement in the syntax for iterators.

For example, C++:

std::vector<MyCoolType*> myVec;
myVec.push_back(new MyCoolType);
for(std::vector<MyCoolType*>::const_iterator i = myVec.begin(); i != myVec.end(); ++i)
   (**i).print();

Versus D:

MyCoolType[] myVec;
myVec ~= new MyCoolType
foreach(i; myVec)
   i.print();

First, the differences:

1. Every class reference is automatically a pointer (MyCoolType[], not MyCoolType*[])
2. Binary operator~ is used for vector concatenation (an object is promoted to a vector of size 1)
3. Pointers to structures can use '.' It's obvious that the pointer needs to be dereferenced.
4. "foreach" allows automatic const iteration. There is "foreach(ref i; myVec)" for non-const.

The advantages should be clear. Iteration in C++ is an abomination. Typedef's can clean things up some, but they also obscure what is really happening (error messages will likely come back as the underlying types).

I have become inoculated to these problems, partly because the Visual C++ IDE makes it easier (with auto complete). D makes it possible to be productive in Vi again... (not every machine has VStudio)