The for_each loop is meant to hide the iterators (detail of how a loop is implemented) from the user code and define clear semantics on the operation: each element will be iterated exactly once.
The problem with readability in the current standard is that it requires a functor as the last argument instead of a block of code, so in many cases you must write specific functor type for it. That turns into less readable code as functor objects cannot be defined in-place (local classes defined within a function cannot be used as template arguments) and the implementation of the loop must be moved away from the actual loop.
struct myfunctor {
void operator()( int arg1 ) { code }
};
void apply( std::vector<int> const & v ) {
// code
std::for_each( v.begin(), v.end(), myfunctor() );
// more code
}
Note that if you want to perform an specific operation on each object, you can use std::mem_fn, or boost::bind (std::bind in the next standard), or boost::lambda (lambdas in the next standard) to make it simpler:
void function( int value );
void apply( std::vector<X> const & v ) {
// code
std::for_each( v.begin(), v.end(), boost::bind( function, _1 ) );
// code
}
Which is not less readable and more compact than the hand rolled version if you do have function/method to call in place. The implementation could provide other implementations of the for_each loop (think parallel processing).
The upcoming standard takes care of some of the shortcomings in different ways, it will allow for locally defined classes as arguments to templates:
void apply( std::vector<int> const & v ) {
// code
struct myfunctor {
void operator()( int ) { code }
};
std::for_each( v.begin(), v.end(), myfunctor() );
// code
}
Improving the locality of code: when you browse you see what it is doing right there. As a matter of fact, you don't even need to use the class syntax to define the functor, but use a lambda right there:
void apply( std::vector<int> const & v ) {
// code
std::for_each( v.begin(), v.end(),
[]( int ) { // code } );
// code
}
Even if for the case of for_each there will be an specific construct that will make it more natural:
void apply( std::vector<int> const & v ) {
// code
for ( int i : v ) {
// code
}
// code
}
I tend to mix the for_each construct with hand rolled loops. When only a call to an existing function or method is what I need (for_each( v.begin(), v.end(), boost::bind( &Type::update, _1 ) )) I go for the for_each construct that takes away from the code a lot of boiler plate iterator stuff. When I need something more complex and I cannot implement a functor just a couple of lines above the actual use, I roll my own loop (keeps the operation in place). In non-critical sections of code I might go with BOOST_FOREACH (a co-worker got me into it)