C++ iterator abstraction

abs_iter.cpp

#include <vector>
#include <set>
#include <string>

namespace Impl {
        typedef std::set<std::string> elem_container;
        //typedef std::vector<std::string> elem_container;

        typedef elem_container::iterator elem_iterator;

        elem_container elems = {
                { "hello" },
                { "world" },
        };

        elem_iterator foo_start() {
                return elems.begin();
        };

        elem_iterator foo_end() {
                return elems.end();
        };
}

#include <iostream>

int main() {
        Impl::elem_iterator it = Impl::foo_start();
        Impl::elem_iterator last = Impl::foo_end();

        for (; it != last; ++it) {
                std::cout << (*it) << std::endl;
        }

        return 0;
}