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<h1><img src="../../c++boost.gif" alt="c++boost.gif (8819 bytes)" align="center" width="277" height="86">Class
<a name="shared_array">shared_array</a></h1>
<p>Class <strong>shared_array</strong> stores a pointer to a dynamically
allocated array. (Dynamically allocated arrays are allocated with the C++ <tt>new[]</tt>
expression.)&nbsp;&nbsp; The array pointed to is guaranteed to be deleted,
either on destruction of the <strong>shared_array</strong>, on <strong>shared_array::operator=()</strong>,
or via an explicit <strong>shared_array::reset()</strong>.&nbsp; See <a href="#shared_array_example">example</a>.</p>
<p>Class<strong> shared_array</strong> meets the <strong>CopyConstuctible</strong>
and <strong>Assignable</strong> requirements of the C++ Standard Library, and so
can be used in C++ Standard Library containers.&nbsp; A specialization of std::
less&lt; &gt; for&nbsp; boost::shared_ptr&lt;Y&gt; is supplied so that&nbsp;<strong>
shared_array</strong> works by default for Standard Library's Associative
Container Compare template parameter.&nbsp; For compilers not supporting partial
specialization, the user must explicitly pass the less&lt;&gt; functor.</p>
<p>Class<strong> shared_array</strong> cannot correctly hold a pointer to a
single object.&nbsp; See <a href="shared_ptr.htm"><strong>shared_ptr</strong></a>
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for that usage.</p>
<p>Class<strong> shared_array</strong> will not work correctly with cyclic data
structures. For example, if main() holds a shared_array pointing to array A,
which directly or indirectly holds a shared_array pointing back to array A, then
array A's use_count() will be 2, and destruction of the main() shared_array will
leave array A dangling with a use_count() of 1.</p>
<p>A C++ Standard Library <strong>vector</strong> is <strong> </strong>a <strong>
</strong>heavier duty alternative to a <strong>shared_array</strong>.</p>
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<p>The class is a template parameterized on <tt>T</tt>, the type of the object
pointed to.&nbsp;&nbsp; <tt>T</tt> must meet the smart pointer <a href="smart_ptr.htm#Common requirements">Common
requirements</a>.</p>
<h2>Class shared_array Synopsis</h2>
<pre>#include &lt;<a href="../../boost/smart_ptr.hpp">boost/smart_ptr.hpp</a>&gt;
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namespace boost {
template&lt;typename T&gt; class shared_array {
public:
typedef T <a href="#shared_array_element_type">element_type</a>;
explicit <a href="#shared_array_ctor">shared_array</a>( T* p=0 );
<a href="#shared_array_ctor">shared_array</a>( const shared_array&amp; ); // never throws
<strong> </strong><a href="#shared_array_~shared_array">~shared_array</a>();
shared_array&amp; <a href="#shared_array_operator=">operator=</a>( const shared_array&amp; ); // never throws
void <a href="#shared_array_reset">reset</a>( T* p=0 );
T&amp; <a href="#shared_array_operator[]">operator[]</a>(std::size_t i) const; // never throws
T* <a href="#shared_array_get">get</a>() const; // never throws
long <a href="#shared_array_use_count">use_count</a>() const; // never throws
bool <a href="#shared_array_unique">unique</a>() const; // never throws
void <a href="#shared_array_swap">swap</a>( shared_array&lt;T&gt;&amp; other ) throw()
};
template&lt;typename T&gt;
inline bool operator==(const shared_array&lt;T&gt;&amp; a, const shared_array&lt;T&gt;&amp; b)
{ return a.get() == b.get(); }
template&lt;typename T&gt;
inline bool operator!=(const shared_array&lt;T&gt;&amp; a, const shared_array&lt;T&gt;&amp; b)
{ return a.get() != b.get(); }
}</pre>
<pre>namespace std {
template&lt;typename T&gt;
inline void swap(boost::shared_array&lt;T&gt;&amp; a, boost::shared_array&lt;T&gt;&amp; b)
{ a.swap(b); }
template&lt;typename T&gt;
struct less&lt; boost::shared_array&lt;T&gt; &gt;
: binary_function&lt;boost::shared_array&lt;T&gt;, boost::shared_array&lt;T&gt;, bool&gt;
{
bool operator()(const boost::shared_array&lt;T&gt;&amp; a,
const boost::shared_array&lt;T&gt;&amp; b) const
{ return less&lt;T*&gt;()(a.get(),b.get()); }
};
} // namespace std </pre>
<p>Specialization of std::swap uses the fast, non-throwing swap that's provided
as a member function instead of using the default algorithm which creates a
temporary and uses assignment.<br>
<br>
Specialization of std::less allows use of shared arrays as keys in&nbsp;C++
Standard Library associative collections.<br>
<br>
The std::less specializations use std::less&lt;T*&gt; to perform the
comparison.&nbsp; This insures that pointers are handled correctly, since the
standard mandates that relational operations on pointers are unspecified (5.9 [expr.rel]
paragraph 2) but std::less&lt;&gt; on pointers is well-defined (20.3.3 [lib.comparisons]
paragraph 8).<br>
<br>
It's still a controversial question whether supplying only std::less is better
than supplying a full range of comparison operators (&lt;, &gt;, &lt;=, &gt;=).</p>
<p>The current implementation does not supply the specializations if the macro
name BOOST_NO_TEMPLATE_PARTIAL_SPECIALIZATION is defined.</p>
<h2>Class shared_array Members</h2>
<h3>shared_array <a name="shared_array_element_type">element_type</a></h3>
<pre>typedef T element_type;</pre>
<p>Provides the type of the stored pointer.</p>
<h3><a name="shared_array_ctor">shared_array constructors</a></h3>
<pre>explicit shared_array( T* p=0 );</pre>
<p>Constructs a <strong>shared_array</strong>, storing a copy of <tt>p</tt>,
which must have been allocated via a C++ <tt>new</tt>[] expression or be 0.
Afterwards, use_count() is 1 (even if p==0; see <a href="#shared_array_~shared_array">~shared_array</a>).</p>
<p>The only exception which may be thrown is <tt>std::bad_alloc</tt>.&nbsp; If
an exception is thrown,&nbsp; <tt>delete[] p</tt> is called.</p>
<pre>shared_array( const shared_array&amp; r); // never throws</pre>
<p>Constructs a <strong>shared_array</strong>, as if by storing a copy of the
pointer stored in <strong>r</strong>. Afterwards, <strong>use_count()</strong>
for all copies is 1 more than the initial <strong>r.use_count()</strong>.</p>
<h3><a name="shared_array_~shared_array">shared_array destructor</a></h3>
<pre>~shared_array();</pre>
<p>If <strong>use_count()</strong> == 1, deletes the array pointed to by the
stored pointer.&nbsp;Otherwise, <strong>use_count()</strong> for any remaining
copies is decremented by 1. Note that in C++ <tt>delete</tt>[] on a pointer with
a value of 0 is harmless.</p>
<p>Does not throw exceptions.</p>
<h3>shared_array <a name="shared_array_operator=">operator=</a></h3>
<pre>shared_array&amp; operator=( const shared_array&amp; r); // never throws</pre>
<p>First, if <strong>use_count()</strong> == 1, deletes the array pointed to by
the stored pointer.&nbsp;Otherwise, <strong>use_count()</strong> for any
remaining copies is decremented by 1. Note that in C++ <tt>delete</tt>[] on a
pointer with a value of 0 is harmless.</p>
<p>Then replaces the contents of <strong>this</strong>, as if by storing a copy
of the pointer stored in <strong>r</strong>. Afterwards, <strong>use_count()</strong>
for all copies is 1 more than the initial <strong>r.use_count()</strong>.&nbsp;</p>
<h3>shared_array <a name="shared_array_reset">reset</a></h3>
<pre>void reset( T* p=0 );</pre>
<p>First, if <strong>use_count()</strong> == 1, deletes the array pointed to by
the stored pointer.&nbsp;Otherwise, <strong>use_count()</strong> for any
remaining copies is decremented by 1. Note that in C++&nbsp; <tt>delete</tt>[]
on a pointer with a value of 0 is harmless.</p>
<p>Then replaces the contents of <strong>this</strong>, as if by storing a copy
of <strong>p</strong>, which must have been allocated via a C++ <tt>new</tt>[]
expression or be 0. Afterwards, <strong>use_count()</strong> is 1 (even if p==0;
see <a href="#shared_array_~shared_array">~shared_array</a>).</p>
<p>The only exception which may be thrown is <tt>std::bad_alloc</tt>.&nbsp; If
an exception is thrown,&nbsp; <tt>delete[] p</tt> is called.</p>
<h3>shared_array <a name="shared_array_operator[]">operator[]</a></h3>
<p><tt>T&amp; operator[](std::size_t i) const; // never throws</tt></p>
<p>Returns a reference to element <tt>i</tt> of the array pointed to by the
stored pointer.</p>
<p>Behavior is undefined (and almost certainly undesirable) if <tt>get()==0</tt>,
or if <tt>i</tt> is less than 0 or is greater or equal to the number of elements
in the array.</p>
<h3>shared_array <a name="shared_array_get">get</a></h3>
<pre>T* get() const; // never throws</pre>
<p><b>T</b> is not required be a complete type.&nbsp;
See <a href="smart_ptr.htm#Common requirements">Common Requirements</a>.</p>
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<p>Returns the stored pointer.</p>
<h3>shared_array<a name="shared_array_use_count"> use_count</a></h3>
<p><tt>long use_count() const; // never throws</tt></p>
<p><b>T</b> is not required be a complete type.&nbsp;
See <a href="smart_ptr.htm#Common requirements">Common Requirements</a>.</p>
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<p>Returns the number of <strong>shared_arrays</strong> sharing ownership of the
stored pointer.</p>
<h3>shared_array <a name="shared_array_unique">unique</a></h3>
<p><tt>bool unique() const; // never throws</tt></p>
<p><b>T</b> is not required be a complete type.&nbsp;
See <a href="smart_ptr.htm#Common requirements">Common Requirements</a>.</p>
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<p>Returns <strong>use_count()</strong> == 1.</p>
<h3><a name="shared_array_swap">shared_array swap</a></h3>
<p><code>void swap( shared_array&lt;T&gt;&amp; other ) throw()</code></p>
<p><b>T</b> is not required be a complete type.&nbsp;
See <a href="smart_ptr.htm#Common requirements">Common Requirements</a>.</p>
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<p>Swaps the two smart pointers, as if by std::swap.</p>
<h2>Class <a name="shared_array_example">shared_array example</a></h2>
<p>[To be supplied. In the meantime, see <a href="smart_ptr_test.cpp">smart_ptr_test.cpp</a>.]</p>
<hr>
<p>Revised <!--webbot bot="Timestamp" S-Type="EDITED" S-Format="%d %B, %Y" startspan -->24 May, 2001<!--webbot bot="Timestamp" endspan i-checksum="13964" -->
</p>
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<p><EFBFBD> Copyright Greg Colvin and Beman Dawes 1999. Permission to copy, use,
modify, sell and distribute this document is granted provided this copyright
notice appears in all copies. This document is provided &quot;as is&quot;
without express or implied warranty, and with no claim as to its suitability for
any purpose.</p>
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