diff --git a/Source/cmGlobalGenerator.cxx b/Source/cmGlobalGenerator.cxx
index 2c5ed4f9e5..40a8586114 100644
--- a/Source/cmGlobalGenerator.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmGlobalGenerator.cxx
@@ -1417,9 +1417,9 @@ void cmGlobalGenerator::FinalizeTargetCompileInfo()
     {
     cmMakefile *mf = this->LocalGenerators[i]->GetMakefile();
 
-    const std::vector<std::string> noconfig_compile_definitions =
+    const cmStringRange noconfig_compile_definitions =
                                 mf->GetCompileDefinitionsEntries();
-    const std::vector<cmListFileBacktrace> noconfig_compile_definitions_bts =
+    const cmBacktraceRange noconfig_compile_definitions_bts =
                                 mf->GetCompileDefinitionsBacktraces();
 
     cmTargets& targets = mf->GetTargets();
@@ -1435,9 +1435,9 @@ void cmGlobalGenerator::FinalizeTargetCompileInfo()
         continue;
         }
 
-      std::vector<cmListFileBacktrace>::const_iterator btIt
+      cmBacktraceRange::const_iterator btIt
           = noconfig_compile_definitions_bts.begin();
-      for (std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator it
+      for (cmStringRange::const_iterator it
                                       = noconfig_compile_definitions.begin();
           it != noconfig_compile_definitions.end(); ++it, ++btIt)
         {
diff --git a/Source/cmMakefile.cxx b/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
index 58d9d7301c..81c88317d6 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
@@ -273,38 +273,34 @@ void cmMakefile::IssueMessage(cmake::MessageType t,
     }
 }
 
-std::vector<std::string> cmMakefile::GetIncludeDirectoriesEntries() const
+cmStringRange cmMakefile::GetIncludeDirectoriesEntries() const
 {
-  return this->IncludeDirectoriesEntries;
+  return cmMakeRange(this->IncludeDirectoriesEntries);
 }
 
-std::vector<cmListFileBacktrace>
-cmMakefile::GetIncludeDirectoriesBacktraces() const
+cmBacktraceRange cmMakefile::GetIncludeDirectoriesBacktraces() const
 {
-  return this->IncludeDirectoriesEntryBacktraces;
+  return cmMakeRange(this->IncludeDirectoriesEntryBacktraces);
 }
 
-
-std::vector<std::string> cmMakefile::GetCompileOptionsEntries() const
+cmStringRange cmMakefile::GetCompileOptionsEntries() const
 {
-  return this->CompileOptionsEntries;
+  return cmMakeRange(this->CompileOptionsEntries);
 }
 
-std::vector<cmListFileBacktrace>
-cmMakefile::GetCompileOptionsBacktraces() const
+cmBacktraceRange cmMakefile::GetCompileOptionsBacktraces() const
 {
-  return this->CompileOptionsEntryBacktraces;
+  return cmMakeRange(this->CompileOptionsEntryBacktraces);
 }
 
-std::vector<std::string> cmMakefile::GetCompileDefinitionsEntries() const
+cmStringRange cmMakefile::GetCompileDefinitionsEntries() const
 {
-  return this->CompileDefinitionsEntries;
+  return cmMakeRange(this->CompileDefinitionsEntries);
 }
 
-std::vector<cmListFileBacktrace>
-cmMakefile::GetCompileDefinitionsBacktraces() const
+cmBacktraceRange cmMakefile::GetCompileDefinitionsBacktraces() const
 {
-  return this->CompileDefinitionsEntryBacktraces;
+  return cmMakeRange(this->CompileDefinitionsEntryBacktraces);
 }
 
 //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/Source/cmMakefile.h b/Source/cmMakefile.h
index 8f236af6cb..27911a97c7 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefile.h
+++ b/Source/cmMakefile.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "cmExpandedCommandArgument.h"
 #include "cmake.h"
 #include "cmState.h"
+#include "cmAlgorithms.h"
 
 #if defined(CMAKE_BUILD_WITH_CMAKE)
 #include "cmSourceGroup.h"
@@ -746,12 +747,12 @@ public:
   /** Set whether or not to report a CMP0000 violation.  */
   void SetCheckCMP0000(bool b) { this->CheckCMP0000 = b; }
 
-  std::vector<std::string> GetIncludeDirectoriesEntries() const;
-  std::vector<cmListFileBacktrace> GetIncludeDirectoriesBacktraces() const;
-  std::vector<std::string> GetCompileOptionsEntries() const;
-  std::vector<cmListFileBacktrace> GetCompileOptionsBacktraces() const;
-  std::vector<std::string> GetCompileDefinitionsEntries() const;
-  std::vector<cmListFileBacktrace> GetCompileDefinitionsBacktraces() const;
+  cmStringRange GetIncludeDirectoriesEntries() const;
+  cmBacktraceRange GetIncludeDirectoriesBacktraces() const;
+  cmStringRange GetCompileOptionsEntries() const;
+  cmBacktraceRange GetCompileOptionsBacktraces() const;
+  cmStringRange GetCompileDefinitionsEntries() const;
+  cmBacktraceRange GetCompileDefinitionsBacktraces() const;
 
   bool IsConfigured() const { return this->Configured; }
   void SetConfigured(){ this->Configured = true; }
diff --git a/Source/cmTarget.cxx b/Source/cmTarget.cxx
index ac453e2d5e..22114fdc27 100644
--- a/Source/cmTarget.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmTarget.cxx
@@ -402,14 +402,13 @@ void cmTarget::SetMakefile(cmMakefile* mf)
     {
     // Initialize the INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES property based on the current value
     // of the same directory property:
-    const std::vector<std::string> parentIncludes =
+    const cmStringRange parentIncludes =
         this->Makefile->GetIncludeDirectoriesEntries();
-    const std::vector<cmListFileBacktrace> parentIncludesBts =
+    const cmBacktraceRange parentIncludesBts =
         this->Makefile->GetIncludeDirectoriesBacktraces();
 
-    std::vector<cmListFileBacktrace>::const_iterator btIt =
-        parentIncludesBts.begin();
-    for (std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator it
+    cmBacktraceRange::const_iterator btIt = parentIncludesBts.begin();
+    for (cmStringRange::const_iterator it
                 = parentIncludes.begin();
          it != parentIncludes.end(); ++it, ++btIt)
       {
@@ -421,13 +420,13 @@ void cmTarget::SetMakefile(cmMakefile* mf)
     this->SystemIncludeDirectories.insert(parentSystemIncludes.begin(),
                                           parentSystemIncludes.end());
 
-    const std::vector<std::string> parentOptions =
+    const cmStringRange parentOptions =
                                 this->Makefile->GetCompileOptionsEntries();
-    const std::vector<cmListFileBacktrace> parentOptionsBts =
+    const cmBacktraceRange parentOptionsBts =
                                 this->Makefile->GetCompileOptionsBacktraces();
 
     btIt = parentOptionsBts.begin();
-    for (std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator it
+    for (cmStringRange::const_iterator it
                 = parentOptions.begin();
          it != parentOptions.end(); ++it, ++btIt)
       {