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smart_ptr/pointer_cast.html
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<h1><img height="86" alt="boost.png (6897 bytes)" src="../../boost.png"
width="277" align="middle" border="0">pointer_cast</h1>
<p>The pointer cast functions (<code>boost::static_pointer_cast</code> <code>boost::dynamic_pointer_cast</code>
<code>boost::reinterpret_pointer_cast</code> <code>boost::const_pointer_cast</code>)
provide a way to write generic pointer castings for raw pointers and std::shared_ptr. The functions
are defined in <CITE><A href="../../boost/pointer_cast.hpp">boost/pointer_cast.hpp</A>.</CITE></p>
<P>There is test/example code in <CITE><A href="test/pointer_cast_test.cpp">pointer_cast_test.cpp</A></CITE>.</p>
<h2><a name="rationale">Rationale</a></h2>
<P>Boost smart pointers usually overload those functions to provide a mechanism to
emulate pointers casts. For example, <code>boost::shared_ptr&lt;...&gt;</code> implements
a static pointer cast this way:</P>
<pre>
template&lt;class T, class U&gt;
shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; static_pointer_cast(shared_ptr&lt;U&gt; const &amp;r);
</pre>
<P>Pointer cast functions from <CITE><A href="../../boost/pointer_cast.hpp">boost/pointer_cast.hpp</A></CITE>
are overloads of <code>boost::static_pointer_cast</code>, <code>boost::dynamic_pointer_cast</code>,
<code>boost::reinterpret_pointer_cast</code> and <code>boost::const_pointer_cast</code>
for raw pointers and std::shared_ptr. This way when developing pointer type independent classes,
for example, memory managers or shared memory compatible classes, the same code
can be used for raw and smart pointers.</p>
<H2><A name="synopsis">Synopsis</A></H2>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<PRE>
namespace boost {
template&lt;class T, class U&gt;
inline T* static_pointer_cast(U *ptr)
{ return static_cast&lt;T*&gt;(ptr); }
template&lt;class T, class U&gt;
inline T* dynamic_pointer_cast(U *ptr)
{ return dynamic_cast&lt;T*&gt;(ptr); }
template&lt;class T, class U&gt;
inline T* const_pointer_cast(U *ptr)
{ return const_cast&lt;T*&gt;(ptr); }
template&lt;class T, class U&gt;
inline T* reinterpret_pointer_cast(U *ptr)
{ return reinterpret_cast&lt;T*&gt;(ptr); }
template&lt;class T, class U&gt;
inline std::shared_ptr&lt;U&gt; static_pointer_cast(std::shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; ptr);
template&lt;class T, class U&gt;
inline std::shared_ptr&lt;U&gt; dynamic_pointer_cast(std::shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; ptr);
template&lt;class T, class U&gt;
inline std::shared_ptr&lt;U&gt; const_pointer_cast(std::shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; ptr);
template&lt;class T, class U&gt;
inline std::shared_ptr&lt;U&gt; reinterpret_pointer_cast(std::shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; ptr);
} // namespace boost
</PRE>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>As you can see from the above synopsis, the pointer cast functions are just
wrappers around standard C++ cast operators.</P>
<H2><A name="example">Example</A></H2>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<PRE>
#include &lt;boost/pointer_cast.hpp&gt;
#include &lt;boost/shared_ptr.hpp&gt;
class base
{
public:
virtual ~base()
{
}
};
class derived: public base
{
};
template &lt;class BasePtr&gt;
void check_if_it_is_derived(const BasePtr &amp;ptr)
{
assert(boost::dynamic_pointer_cast&lt;derived&gt;(ptr) != 0);
}
int main()
{
<I>// Create a raw and a shared_ptr</I>
base *ptr = new derived;
boost::shared_ptr&lt;base&gt; sptr(new derived);
<I>// Check that base pointer points actually to derived class</I>
check_if_it_is_derived(ptr);
check_if_it_is_derived(sptr);
// <EM>Ok!</EM>
delete ptr;
return 0;
}</PRE>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P>The example demonstrates how the generic pointer casts help us create pointer
independent code.</P>
<hr>
<p>$Date$</p>
<p>Copyright 2005 Ion Gaztañaga. Use, modification, and distribution are subject to
the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying file <A href="../../LICENSE_1_0.txt">
LICENSE_1_0.txt</A> or a copy at &lt;<A href="http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt">http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt</A>&gt;.)</p>
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