How to index character in string from a list c++

Question

I am trying to index a char in a string from a list of strings.

if stringV is a vector this works:

vector<string> stringV;

for (int i = 0; i < stringL.size(); i++) {
    if(stringV[i][0] == 'a')
        cout << stringV[i] << endl;
}

but if stringL is a list it does not work:

list<string> stringL;

for (list<string>::iterator it = stringL.begin(); it != stringL.end(); it++) {
    if (*it[0] == 'a')
        cout << *it << endl;
}

neither does this work:

for (list<string>::iterator it = stringL.begin(); it != stringL.end(); it++) {
    if (*it.at(0) == 'a')
        cout << *it << endl;
}

These are my header files:

include <string>
include <list>
include <vector>

The reason I am using a list instead of a vector is so that I can insert middle elements more efficiently. Any suggestions on how I index a character from a string in a list?

Answer 1

Instead of *it.at(0) use (*it).at(0) or it->at(0).

The expression *it.at(0) parses as *(it.at(0)), which is meaningless: a char can't be dereferenced.