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<h1><IMG height="86" alt="c++boost.gif (8819 bytes)" src="../../c++boost.gif" width="277" align="middle">shared_ptr
class template</h1>
<p><A href="#Introduction">Introduction</A><br>
<a href="#BestPractices">Best Practices</a><br>
<A href="#Synopsis">Synopsis</A><br>
<A href="#Members">Members</A><br>
<A href="#functions">Free Functions</A><br>
<A href="#example">Example</A><br>
<A href="#Handle/Body">Handle/Body Idiom</A><br>
<a href="#ThreadSafety">Thread Safety</a><br>
<A href="#FAQ">Frequently Asked Questions</A><br>
<A href="smarttests.htm">Smart Pointer Timings</A></p>
<h2><a name="Introduction">Introduction</a></h2>
<p>The <b>shared_ptr</b> class template stores a pointer to a dynamically allocated
object. (Dynamically allocated objects are allocated with the C++ <b>new</b> expression.)
The object pointed to is guaranteed to be deleted when the last <b>shared_ptr</b>
pointing to it is destroyed or reset. See the <A href="#example">example</A>.</p>
<p>Every <b>shared_ptr</b> meets the <b>CopyConstructible</b> and <b>Assignable</b>
requirements of the C++ Standard Library, and so can be used in standard
library containers. Comparison operators are supplied so that <b>shared_ptr</b>
works with the standard library's associative containers.</p>
<p>Normally, a <b>shared_ptr</b> cannot correctly hold a pointer to a dynamically
allocated array. See <A href="shared_array.htm"><b>shared_array</b></A> for
that usage.</p>
<p>Because the implementation uses reference counting, <b>shared_ptr</b> will not
work correctly with cyclic data structures. For example, if <b>main()</b> holds
a <b>shared_ptr</b> to <b>A</b>, which directly or indirectly holds a <b>shared_ptr</b>
back to <b>A</b>, <b>A</b>'s use count will be 2. Destruction of the original <b>shared_ptr</b>
will leave <b>A</b> dangling with a use count of 1. Use <A href="weak_ptr.htm">weak_ptr</A>
to "break cycles."</p>
<p>The class template is parameterized on <b>T</b>, the type of the object pointed
to. <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG> and most of its member functions place no
requirements on <STRONG>T</STRONG>; it is allowed to be an incomplete type, or <STRONG>
void</STRONG>. Member functions that do place additional requirements (<A href="#constructors">constructors</A>,
<A href="#reset">reset</A>) are explicitly documented below.</p>
<P><STRONG>shared_ptr&lt;T&gt;</STRONG> can be implicitly converted to <STRONG>shared_ptr&lt;U&gt;</STRONG>
whenever <STRONG>T*</STRONG> can be implicitly converted to <STRONG>U*</STRONG>.
In particular, <STRONG>shared_ptr&lt;T&gt;</STRONG> is implicitly convertible
to <STRONG>shared_ptr&lt;T const&gt;</STRONG>, to <STRONG>shared_ptr&lt;U&gt;</STRONG>
where <STRONG>U</STRONG> is an accessible base of <STRONG>T</STRONG>, and to <STRONG>
shared_ptr&lt;void&gt;</STRONG>.</P>
<h2><a name="BestPractices">Best Practices</a></h2>
<P>A simple guideline that nearly eliminates&nbsp;the possibility of memory leaks
is: always use a named smart pointer variable to hold the result of <STRONG>new. </STRONG>
Every occurence of the <STRONG>new</STRONG> keyword in the code should have the
form:</P>
<PRE>shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; p(new Y);</PRE>
<P>It is, of course, acceptable to use another smart pointer in place of <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG>
above; having <STRONG>T</STRONG> and <STRONG>Y</STRONG> be the same type, or
passing arguments to <STRONG>Y</STRONG>'s constructor&nbsp;is also OK.</P>
<P>If you observe this guideline, it naturally follows that you will have no
explicit <STRONG>delete</STRONG>s; <STRONG>try/catch</STRONG> constructs will
be rare.</P>
<P>Avoid using unnamed <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG> temporaries to save typing; to
see why this is dangerous, consider this example:</P>
<PRE>
void f(shared_ptr&lt;int&gt;, int);
int g();
void ok()
{
shared_ptr&lt;int&gt; p(new int(2));
f(p, g());
}
void bad()
{
f(shared_ptr&lt;int&gt;(new int(2)), g());
}
</PRE>
<P>The function <STRONG>ok</STRONG> follows the guideline to the letter, whereas <STRONG>
bad</STRONG> constructs the temporary <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG> in place,
admitting the possibility of a memory leak. Since function arguments are
evaluated in unspecified order, it is possible for <STRONG>new int(2)</STRONG> to
be evaluated first, <STRONG>g()</STRONG> second, and we may never get to the <STRONG>
shared_ptr </STRONG>constructor if <STRONG>g</STRONG> throws an exception.
See <A href="http://www.gotw.ca/gotw/056.htm">Herb Sutter's treatment</A> of
the issue for more information.</P>
<h2><a name="Synopsis">Synopsis</a></h2>
<pre>namespace boost {
class use_count_is_zero: public std::exception;
template&lt;typename T&gt; class <A href="weak_ptr.htm" >weak_ptr</A>;
template&lt;typename T&gt; class shared_ptr {
public:
typedef T <A href="#element_type" >element_type</A>;
<A href="#constructors" >shared_ptr</A> ();
template&lt;typename Y&gt; explicit <A href="#constructors" >shared_ptr</A> (Y * p);
template&lt;typename Y, typename D&gt; <A href="#constructors" >shared_ptr</A>(Y * p, D d);
<A href="#destructor" >~shared_ptr</A>(); // never throws
<A href="#constructors" >shared_ptr</A>(shared_ptr const &amp; r); // never throws
template&lt;typename Y&gt; <A href="#constructors" >shared_ptr</A>(shared_ptr&lt;Y&gt; const &amp; r); // never throws
explicit <A href="#constructors" >shared_ptr</A>(<A href="weak_ptr.htm" >weak_ptr</A> const &amp; r);
template&lt;typename Y&gt; <A href="#constructors" >shared_ptr</A>(std::auto_ptr&lt;Y&gt; &amp; r);
shared_ptr &amp; <A href="#assignment" >operator=</A>(shared_ptr const &amp; r); // never throws
template&lt;typename Y&gt; shared_ptr &amp; <A href="#assignment" >operator=</A>(shared_ptr&lt;Y&gt; const &amp; r); // never throws
template&lt;typename Y&gt; shared_ptr &amp; <A href="#assignment" >operator=</A>(std::auto_ptr&lt;Y&gt; &amp; r);
void <A href="#reset" >reset</A> ();
template&lt;typename Y&gt; void <A href="#reset" >reset</A> (Y * p);
template&lt;typename Y&gt; template&lt;typename D&gt; void <A href="#reset" >reset</A>(Y * p, D d);
T &amp; <A href="#indirection" >operator*</A>() const; // never throws
T * <A href="#indirection" >operator-&gt;</A>() const; // never throws
T * <A href="#get" >get</A>() const; // never throws
bool <A href="#unique" >unique</A>() const; // never throws
long <A href="#use_count" >use_count</A>() const; // never throws
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operator <a href="#conversions"><i>unspecified-bool-type</i></a> () const; // never throws
void <A href="#swap" >swap</A>(shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; &amp; b); // never throws
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};
template&lt;typename T, typename U&gt;
bool <A href="#comparison" >operator==</A>(shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; const &amp; a, shared_ptr&lt;U&gt; const &amp; b); // never throws
template&lt;typename T, typename U&gt;
bool <A href="#comparison" >operator!=</A>(shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; const &amp; a, shared_ptr&lt;U&gt; const &amp; b); // never throws
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template&lt;typename T&gt;
bool <A href="#comparison" >operator&lt;</A>(shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; const &amp; a, shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; const &amp; b); // never throws
template&lt;typename T&gt; void <A href="#free-swap" >swap</A>(shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; &amp; a, shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; &amp; b); // never throws
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template&lt;typename T&gt; T * <A href="#get_pointer" >get_pointer</A>(shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; const &amp; p); // never throws
template&lt;typename T, typename U&gt;
shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; <A href="#shared_static_cast" >shared_static_cast</A>(shared_ptr&lt;U&gt; const &amp; r); // never throws
template&lt;typename T, typename U&gt;
shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; <A href="#shared_dynamic_cast" >shared_dynamic_cast</A>(shared_ptr&lt;U&gt; const &amp; r);
template&lt;typename T, typename U&gt;
shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; <A href="#shared_polymorphic_cast" >shared_polymorphic_cast</A>(shared_ptr&lt;U&gt; const &amp; r);
template&lt;typename T, typename U&gt;
shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; <A href="#shared_polymorphic_downcast" >shared_polymorphic_downcast</A>(shared_ptr&lt;U&gt; const &amp; r); // never throws
}</pre>
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<P><EM>[It might be&nbsp;convenient to relax the requirements on <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG>'s
signature, allowing an additional, defaulted, template parameter. This would
help in detecting possible ODR violations. On the other hand, using <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG>
as an argument to a&nbsp;template template parameter requires an exact
signature match.]</EM></P>
<h2><a name="Members">Members</a></h2>
<h3><a name="element_type">element_type</a></h3>
<pre>typedef T element_type;</pre>
<blockquote>
<p>Provides the type of the template parameter T.</p>
</blockquote>
<h3><a name="constructors">constructors</a></h3>
<pre>shared_ptr();</pre>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Effects:</b> Constructs a <b>shared_ptr</b>.</p>
<p><b>Postconditions:</b> <A href="#use_count">use count</A> is 1; the stored
pointer is 0.</p>
<p><b>Throws:</b> <b>std::bad_alloc</b>.</p>
<p><b>Exception safety:</b> If an exception is thrown, the constructor has no
effect.</p>
</blockquote>
<P><EM>[The poscondition of use_count() == 1 is too strong. Having the nothrow
guarantee is important, since <STRONG>reset()</STRONG> is specified in terms of
the default constructor, but the current specification requires that a count be
allocated. Therefore, this postcondition will be dropped in a future release.
The use count of a default-constructed <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG>, including
all copies created from it, will probably be left unspecified.</EM></P>
<P><EM>There are two possible nothrow implementations, one stores 0 as a pointer to the
reference count, the other uses a single statically allocated count for all
default-constructed <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG>s. The second option is
difficult to achieve in the current header-only reference implementation due to
thread safety issues and initialization order, but it should not be precluded
by the specification.</EM></P>
<P><EM>A future release may enable <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG> construction from a
literal zero, for consistency with built-in pointers. It is not clear yet
whether this constructor should be left implicit, enabling <STRONG>0</STRONG> to
be used as a shorthand for <STRONG>shared_ptr&lt;T&gt;().</STRONG>]</EM></P>
<pre>template&lt;typename Y&gt; explicit shared_ptr(Y * p);</pre>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Requirements:</b> <b>p</b> must be convertible to <b>T *</b>. <STRONG>Y</STRONG>
must be a complete type. The expression <code>delete p</code> must be
well-formed, must not invoke undefined behavior, and must not throw exceptions.
</p>
<p><b>Effects:</b> Constructs a <b>shared_ptr</b>, storing a copy of <b>p</b>.</p>
<p><b>Postconditions:</b> <A href="#use_count">use count</A> is 1.</p>
<p><b>Throws:</b> <b>std::bad_alloc</b>.</p>
<p><b>Exception safety:</b> If an exception is thrown, <code>delete p</code> is
called.</p>
<P><STRONG>Notes:</STRONG> <B>p</B> must be a pointer to an object that was
allocated via a C++ <B>new</B> expression or be 0. The postcondition that <A href="#use_count">
use count</A> is 1 holds even if <b>p</b> is 0; invoking <STRONG>delete</STRONG>
on a pointer that has a value of 0 is harmless.</P>
</blockquote>
<P><EM>[This constructor has been changed to a template in order to remember the actual
pointer type passed. The destructor will call <STRONG>delete</STRONG> with the
same pointer, complete with its original type, even when <STRONG>T</STRONG> does
2002-07-23 19:12:40 +00:00
not have a virtual destructor, or is <STRONG>void</STRONG>.</EM></P>
<P><EM>In the current implementation, if <STRONG>p</STRONG> is convertible to <STRONG>counted_base
*</STRONG>, <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG> will use the embedded reference
count supplied by <STRONG>counted_base</STRONG>. This is an (experimental)
attempt to provide a way for <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG> to be constructed from
a raw pointer such as <STRONG>this</STRONG>. A free function <STRONG>shared_from_this(q)</STRONG>
performs the conversion when <STRONG>q</STRONG> is convertible to <STRONG>counted_base
const *</STRONG>.</EM></P>
<P><EM>The optional intrusive counting employed by the current implementation allows <STRONG>
shared_ptr</STRONG> to interoperate with <STRONG>intrusive_ptr</STRONG>, an
experimental generic intrusive-counted smart pointer.</EM></P>
<P><EM> Another possible implementation is to use a global pointer-to-count map instead
of intrusive counting. <STRONG>shared_from_this</STRONG> would no longer be
O(1), which is a concern for some users, although I do not expect any
performance problems, since the operation is rare. Maintaining a global
map&nbsp;is difficult; it needs to be initialized before any <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG>
instances are constructed, and the initialization needs to be&nbsp;thread safe.
In addition, under the Windows dynamic library model, it is possible for
several maps to exist.</EM></P>
<P><EM> It is not yet clear which implementation should be used, or whether the
specification should allow both; nevertheless,&nbsp;the ability to make a <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG>
from <STRONG>this</STRONG> is considered essential&nbsp;by experienced smart
pointer users.</EM><EM>]</EM></P>
<pre>template&lt;typename Y, typename D&gt; shared_ptr(Y * p, D d);</pre>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Requirements:</b> <B>p</B> must be convertible to <B>T *</B>. The copy
constructor and destructor of <b>D</b> must not throw. The expression <code>d(p)</code>
must be well-formed, must not invoke undefined behavior, and must not throw
exceptions.
</p>
<p><b>Effects:</b> Constructs a <b>shared_ptr</b>, storing a copy of <b>p</b> and <b>d</b>.</p>
<p><b>Postconditions:</b> <A href="#use_count">use count</A> is 1.</p>
<p><b>Throws:</b> <b>std::bad_alloc</b>.</p>
<p><b>Exception safety:</b> If an exception is thrown, <code>d(p)</code> is called.</p>
<p><b>Notes:</b> When the the time comes to delete the object pointed to by <b>p</b>,
<code>d(p)</code> is invoked.</p>
</blockquote>
<P><EM>[Custom deallocators allow a factory function returning a <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG>
to insulate the user from its memory allocation strategy. Since the deallocator
is not part of the type, changing the allocation strategy does not break source
or binary compatibility, and does not require a client recompilation. For
example, a "no-op" deallocator is useful when returning a <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG>
to a statically allocated object.</EM></P>
<P><EM>The support for custom deallocators does not impose significant overhead. Other <STRONG>
shared_ptr</STRONG> features still require a deallocator to be kept.]</EM></P>
<pre>shared_ptr(shared_ptr const &amp; r); // never throws
template&lt;typename Y&gt; shared_ptr(shared_ptr&lt;Y&gt; const &amp; r); // never throws</pre>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Effects:</b> Constructs a <b>shared_ptr</b>, as if by storing a copy of the
pointer stored in <STRONG>r</STRONG>.</p>
<p><b>Postconditions:</b> <A href="#use_count">use count</A> for all copies is
increased by one.</p>
<p><b>Throws:</b> nothing.</p>
</blockquote>
<P><EM>[The postcondition will be relaxed when a default-constructed <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG>
is being copied.]</EM></P>
<pre>explicit shared_ptr(<A href="weak_ptr.htm" >weak_ptr</A> const &amp; r);</pre>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Effects:</b> Constructs a <b>shared_ptr</b>, as if by storing a copy of the
pointer stored in <STRONG>r</STRONG>.</p>
<p><b>Postconditions:</b> <A href="#use_count">use count</A> for all copies is
increased by one.</p>
<p><b>Throws:</b> <b>use_count_is_zero</b> when <code>r.use_count() == 0</code>.</p>
<p><b>Exception safety:</b> If an exception is thrown, the constructor has no
effect.</p>
</blockquote>
<P><EM>[This constructor is an optional part of the specification; it depends on the
existence of <STRONG>weak_ptr</STRONG>. It is true that <STRONG>weak_ptr</STRONG>
support imposes overhead on every <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG> user, regardless
of whether weak pointers are used.</EM></P>
<P><EM>On the other hand, cyclic references are a serious problem with all reference
counted designs. Not providing a solution within the library is unacceptable;
if users are forced to reinvent the weak pointer wheel, there is substantial
probability that they will get it wrong, as designing a safe <STRONG>weak_ptr</STRONG>
interface is non-trivial.</EM></P>
<P><EM>My opinion is that the added functionality is worth the cost. <STRONG>weak_ptr</STRONG>
is provided in the reference implementation as a proof of concept.]</EM></P>
<pre>template&lt;typename Y&gt; shared_ptr(std::auto_ptr&lt;Y&gt; &amp; r);</pre>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><B>Effects:</B> Constructs a <B>shared_ptr</B>, as if by storing a copy of <STRONG>r.release()</STRONG>.</P>
<P><B>Postconditions:</B> <A href="#use_count">use count</A> for all copies is
increased by one.</P>
<P><B>Throws:</B> <B>std::bad_alloc</B>.</P>
<P><B>Exception safety:</B> If an exception is thrown, the constructor has no
effect.</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><EM>[This constructor takes a the source <STRONG>auto_ptr</STRONG> by reference and
not by value, and cannot accept <STRONG>auto_ptr</STRONG> temporaries. This is
by design, as the constructor offers the strong guarantee.]</EM></P>
<h3><a name="destructor">destructor</a></h3>
<pre>~shared_ptr(); // never throws</pre>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><B>Effects:</B> If <STRONG>*this</STRONG> is the sole owner (<code>use_count() == 1</code>),
destroys the object pointed to by the stored pointer.</P>
<P><B>Postconditions:</B> <A href="#use_count">use count</A> for all remaining
copies is decreased by one.</P>
<P><B>Throws:</B> nothing.</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<H3><a name="assignment">assignment</a></H3>
<pre>shared_ptr &amp; operator=(shared_ptr const &amp; r); // never throws
template&lt;typename Y&gt; shared_ptr &amp; operator=(shared_ptr&lt;Y&gt; const &amp; r); // never throws
template&lt;typename Y&gt; shared_ptr &amp; operator=(std::auto_ptr&lt;Y&gt; &amp; r);</pre>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><B>Effects:</B> Equivalent to <code>shared_ptr(r).swap(*this)</code>.</P>
<P><B>Notes:</B> The implementation is free to meet the effects (and the implied
guarantees) via different means, without creating a temporary. In particular,
in the example:</P>
<pre>
shared_ptr&lt;int&gt; p(new int);
shared_ptr&lt;void&gt; q(p);
p = p;
q = p;
</pre>
<p>both assignments may be no-ops.</p>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<h3><a name="reset">reset</a></h3>
<pre>void reset();</pre>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><B>Effects:</B> Equivalent to <code>shared_ptr().swap(*this)</code>.</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><EM>[<STRONG>reset()</STRONG> will offer the nothrow guarantee in a future
implementation.]</EM></P>
<pre>template&lt;typename Y&gt; void reset(Y * p);</pre>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><B>Effects:</B> Equivalent to <code>shared_ptr(p).swap(*this)</code>.</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<pre>template&lt;typename Y, typename D&gt; void reset(Y * p, D d);</pre>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><B>Effects:</B> Equivalent to <code>shared_ptr(p, d).swap(*this)</code>.</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<h3><a name="indirection">indirection</a></h3>
<pre>T &amp; operator*() const; // never throws</pre>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Requirements:</b> The stored pointer must not be 0.</p>
<p><b>Returns:</b> a reference to the object pointed to by the stored pointer.</p>
<p><b>Throws:</b> nothing.</p>
</blockquote>
<pre>T * operator-&gt;() const; // never throws</pre>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Requirements:</b> The stored pointer must not be 0.</p>
<p><b>Returns:</b> the stored pointer.</p>
<p><b>Throws:</b> nothing.</p>
</blockquote>
<h3><a name="get">get</a></h3>
<pre>T * get() const; // never throws</pre>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Returns:</b> the stored pointer.</p>
<p><b>Throws:</b> nothing.</p>
</blockquote>
<h3><a name="unique">unique</a></h3>
<pre>bool unique() const; // never throws</pre>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Returns:</b> <code>use_count() == 1</code>.</p>
<p><b>Throws:</b> nothing.</p>
<P><B>Notes:</B> <code>unique()</code> may be faster than <code>use_count()</code>.
If you are using <code>unique()</code> to implement copy on write, do not rely
on a specific value when the stored pointer is zero.</P>
</blockquote>
<P><EM>[In a future release, <STRONG>unique()</STRONG> will return an unspecified value
for a default-constructed <STRONG>shared_ptr.</STRONG>]</EM></P>
<h3><a name="use_count">use_count</a></h3>
<pre>long use_count() const; // never throws</pre>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Returns:</b> the number of <b>shared_ptr</b> objects sharing ownership of the
stored pointer.</p>
<p><b>Throws:</b> nothing.</p>
<P><B>Notes:</B> <code>use_count()</code> is not necessarily efficient. Use only
for debugging and testing purposes, not for production code.</P>
</blockquote>
<h3><a name="conversions">conversions</a></h3>
<pre>operator <i>unspecified-bool-type</i> () const; // never throws</pre>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Returns:</b> an&nbsp;unspecified value that, when used in boolean contexts,
is equivalent to <code>get() != 0</code>.</p>
<p><b>Throws:</b> nothing.</p>
<P><B>Notes:</B> This conversion operator allows <b>shared_ptr</b> objects to be
used in boolean contexts, like <code>if (p &amp;&amp; p-&gt;valid()) {}</code>.
The actual target type is typically a pointer to a member function, avoiding
many of the implicit conversion pitfalls.</P>
</blockquote>
<P><EM>[The conversion to bool is not merely syntactic sugar. It allows <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG>s
to be declared in conditions when using <STRONG>shared_dynamic_cast </STRONG>or <STRONG>
make_shared</STRONG>.]</EM></P>
<h3><a name="swap">swap</a></h3>
<pre>void swap(shared_ptr &amp; b); // never throws</pre>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Effects:</b> Exchanges the contents of the two smart pointers.</p>
<p><b>Throws:</b> nothing.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2><a name="functions">Free Functions</a></h2>
<h3><a name="comparison">comparison</a></h3>
<pre>template&lt;typename T, typename U&gt;
bool operator==(shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; const &amp; a, shared_ptr&lt;U&gt; const &amp; b); // never throws</pre>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Returns:</b> <code>a.get() == b.get()</code>.</p>
<p><b>Throws:</b> nothing.</p>
</blockquote>
<pre>template&lt;typename T, typename U&gt;
bool operator!=(shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; const &amp; a, shared_ptr&lt;U&gt; const &amp; b); // never throws</pre>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Returns:</b> <code>a.get() != b.get()</code>.</p>
<p><b>Throws:</b> nothing.</p>
</blockquote>
<pre>template&lt;typename T&gt;
bool operator&lt;(shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; const &amp; a, shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; const &amp; b); // never throws</pre>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Returns:</b> an&nbsp;unspecified value such that <b>operator&lt;</b> is a
strict weak ordering as described in section 25.3 <code>[lib.alg.sorting]</code>
of the C++ standard.</p>
<p><b>Throws:</b> nothing.</p>
<P><B>Notes:</B> Allows <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG> objects to be used as keys in
associative containers.</P>
</blockquote>
<P><EM>[<STRONG>Operator&lt;</STRONG> has been preferred over a <STRONG>std::less </STRONG>
specialization for consistency and legality reasons, as <STRONG>std::less</STRONG>
is required to return the results of <STRONG>operator&lt;</STRONG>, and many
standard algorithms use <STRONG>operator&lt;</STRONG> instead of <STRONG>std::less</STRONG>
2002-07-24 10:20:30 +00:00
for comparisons when a predicate is not supplied. Composite objects, like <STRONG>std::pair</STRONG>,
also implement their <STRONG>operator&lt;</STRONG> in terms of their contained
subobjects'&nbsp;<STRONG>operator&lt;</STRONG>.</EM></P>
<P><EM>The rest of the comparison operators are omitted by design.]</EM></P>
<h3><a name="free-swap">swap</a></h3>
<pre>template&lt;typename T&gt;
2002-07-27 16:02:26 +00:00
void swap(shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; &amp; a, shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; &amp; b); // never throws</pre>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><B>Effects:</B> Equivalent to <code>a.swap(b)</code>.</P>
<P><B>Throws:</B> nothing.</P>
<P><B>Notes:</B> Matches the interface of <B>std::swap</B>. Provided as an aid to
generic programming.</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><EM>[<STRONG>swap</STRONG> is defined in the same namespace as <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG>
as this is currently the only legal way to supply a <STRONG>swap</STRONG> function
that has a chance to be used by the standard library.]</EM></P>
2002-07-27 16:02:26 +00:00
<h3><a name="get_pointer">get_pointer</a></h3>
<pre>template&lt;typename T&gt;
T * get_pointer(shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; const &amp; p); // never throws</pre>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><B>Returns:</B> <code>p.get()</code>.</P>
<P><B>Throws:</B> nothing.</P>
<P><B>Notes:</B> Provided as an aid to generic programming. Used by <A href="../bind/mem_fn.html">
mem_fn</A>.</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<h3><a name="shared_static_cast">shared_static_cast</a></h3>
<pre>template&lt;typename T, typename U&gt;
shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; shared_static_cast(shared_ptr&lt;U&gt; const &amp; r); // never throws</pre>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><STRONG>Requires:</STRONG> The expression <code>static_cast&lt;T*&gt;(r.get())</code>
must be well-formed.</P>
<P><B>Returns:</B> A <STRONG>shared_ptr&lt;T&gt;</STRONG> object that stores a copy
of <code>static_cast&lt;T*&gt;(r.get())</code> and shares ownership with <b>r</b>.</P>
<P><B>Throws:</B> nothing.</P>
<P><B>Notes:</B> the seemingly equivalent expression</P>
<p><code>shared_ptr&lt;T&gt;(static_cast&lt;T*&gt;(r.get()))</code></p>
<p>will eventually result in undefined behavior, attempting to delete the same
object twice.</p>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<h3><a name="shared_dynamic_cast">shared_dynamic_cast</a></h3>
<pre>template&lt;typename T, typename U&gt;
shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; shared_dynamic_cast(shared_ptr&lt;U&gt; const &amp; r);</pre>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><STRONG>Requires:</STRONG> The expression <CODE>dynamic_cast&lt;T*&gt;(r.get())</CODE>
must be well-formed and its behavior defined.</P>
<P><B>Returns:</B></P>
<UL>
<LI>
When <CODE>dynamic_cast&lt;T*&gt;(r.get())</CODE> returns a nonzero value, a <STRONG>
shared_ptr&lt;T&gt;</STRONG> object that stores a copy of it and shares
ownership with <STRONG>r</STRONG>;
<LI>
Otherwise, a default-constructed <STRONG>shared_ptr&lt;T&gt;</STRONG> object.</LI></UL>
<P><B>Throws:</B> <STRONG>std::bad_alloc</STRONG>.</P>
<P><B>Exception safety:</B> If an exception is thrown, the function has no effect.</P>
<P><B>Notes:</B> the seemingly equivalent expression</P>
<P><CODE>shared_ptr&lt;T&gt;(dynamic_cast&lt;T*&gt;(r.get()))</CODE></P>
<P>will eventually result in undefined behavior, attempting to delete the same
object twice.</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<h3><a name="shared_polymorphic_cast">shared_polymorphic_cast</a></h3>
<pre>template&lt;typename T, typename U&gt;
shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; shared_polymorphic_cast(shared_ptr&lt;U&gt; const &amp; r);</pre>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<p><STRONG>Requires:</STRONG> The expression <CODE><A href="../conversion/cast.htm#Polymorphic_cast">
polymorphic_cast</A>&lt;T*&gt;(r.get())</CODE> must be well-formed and
its behavior defined.</p>
<P><B>Returns:</B> A <STRONG>shared_ptr&lt;T&gt;</STRONG> object that stores a copy
of <CODE><A href="../conversion/cast.htm#Polymorphic_cast">polymorphic_cast</A>&lt;T*&gt;(r.get())</CODE>
and shares ownership with <B>r</B>.</P>
<P><B>Throws:</B> <STRONG>std::bad_cast</STRONG> when the pointer cannot be
converted.</P>
<P><B>Exception safety:</B> If an exception is thrown, the function has no effect.</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<h3><a name="shared_polymorphic_downcast">shared_polymorphic_downcast</a></h3>
<pre>template&lt;typename T, typename U&gt;
shared_ptr&lt;T&gt; shared_polymorphic_downcast(shared_ptr&lt;U&gt; const &amp; r); // never throws</pre>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
<p><STRONG>Requires:</STRONG> The expression <CODE><A href="../conversion/cast.htm#Polymorphic_cast">
polymorphic_downcast</A>&lt;T*&gt;(r.get())</CODE> must be well-formed
and its behavior defined.</p>
<P><B>Returns:</B> A <STRONG>shared_ptr&lt;T&gt;</STRONG> object that stores a copy
of <CODE><A href="../conversion/cast.htm#Polymorphic_cast">polymorphic_downcast</A>&lt;T*&gt;(r.get())</CODE>
and shares ownership with <B>r</B>.</P>
<P><B>Throws:</B> nothing.</P>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<h2><a name="example">Example</a></h2>
<p>See <A href="shared_ptr_example.cpp">shared_ptr_example.cpp</A> for a complete
example program. The program builds a <b>std::vector</b> and <b>std::set</b> of <b>shared_ptr</b>
objects.</p>
<p>Note that after the containers have been populated, some of the <b>shared_ptr</b>
objects will have a use count of 1 rather than a use count of 2, since the set
is a <b>std::set</b> rather than a <b>std::multiset</b>, and thus does not
contain duplicate entries. Furthermore, the use count may be even higher at
various times while <b>push_back</b> and <b>insert</b> container operations are
performed. More complicated yet, the container operations may throw exceptions
under a variety of circumstances. Getting the memory management and exception
handling in this example right without a smart pointer would be a nightmare.</p>
<h2><a name="Handle/Body">Handle/Body</a> Idiom</h2>
<p>One common usage of <b>shared_ptr</b> is to implement a handle/body (also called
pimpl) idiom which avoids exposing the body (implementation) in the header
file.</p>
<p>The <A href="shared_ptr_example2_test.cpp">shared_ptr_example2_test.cpp</A> sample
program includes a header file, <A href="shared_ptr_example2.hpp">shared_ptr_example2.hpp</A>,
which uses a <b>shared_ptr&lt;&gt;</b> to an incomplete type to hide the
implementation. The instantiation of member functions which require a complete
type occurs in the <A href="shared_ptr_example2.cpp">shared_ptr_example2.cpp</A>
implementation file. Note that there is no need for an explicit destructor.
Unlike ~scoped_ptr, ~shared_ptr does not require that <b>T</b> be a complete
type.</p>
<h2><a name="ThreadSafety">Thread Safety</a></h2>
<p><STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG> objects offer the same level of thread safety as
built-in types.&nbsp;A&nbsp;<STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG> instance can be "read"
(accessed using only const operations)&nbsp;simultaneously by multiple threads.
Different <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG> instances can be "written to" (accessed
using mutable operations such as <STRONG>operator= </STRONG>or <STRONG>reset</STRONG>)
simultaneosly by multiple threads (even when these instances are copies, and
share the same reference count underneath.)</p>
<P>Any other simultaneous accesses result in undefined behavior.</P>
<P>Examples:</P>
<pre>
shared_ptr&lt;int&gt; p(new int(42));
//--- Example 1 ---
// thread A
shared_ptr&lt;int&gt; p2(p); // reads p
// thread B
shared_ptr&lt;int&gt; p3(p); // OK, multiple reads are safe
//--- Example 2 ---
// thread A
p.reset(new int(1912)); // writes p
// thread B
p2.reset(); // OK, writes p2
//--- Example 3 ---
// thread A
p = p3; // reads p3, writes p
// thread B
p3.reset(); // writes p3; undefined, simultaneous read/write
//--- Example 4 ---
// thread A
p3 = p2; // reads p2, writes p3
// thread B
// p2 goes out of scope: undefined, the destructor is considered a "write access"
//--- Example 5 ---
// thread A
p3.reset(new int(1));
// thread B
p3.reset(new int(2)); // undefined, multiple writes
</pre>
<p><STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG> uses <A href="../config/config.htm">Boost.Config</A>
to detect whether the implementation supports threads. If your program is
single-threaded, but your platform is autodetected by <STRONG>Boost.Config</STRONG>
as supporting multiple threads, <STRONG>#define BOOST_DISABLE_THREADS</STRONG> to
eliminate the thread safety overhead.</p>
<h2><a name="FAQ">Frequently Asked Questions</a></h2>
<P><B>Q.</B> There are several variations of shared pointers, with different
tradeoffs; why does the smart pointer library supply only a single
implementation? It would be useful to be able to experiment with each type so
as to find the most suitable for the job at hand?<BR>
<b>A.</b> An important goal of <STRONG>shared_ptr</STRONG> is to provide a
standard shared-ownership pointer. Having a single pointer type is important
for stable library interfaces, since different shared pointers typically cannot
interoperate, i.e. a reference counted pointer (used by library A) cannot share
ownership with a linked pointer (used by library B.)</P>
<P><B>Q.</B> Why doesn't <B>shared_ptr</B> have template parameters supplying
traits or policies to allow extensive user customization?<BR>
<B>A.</B> Parameterization discourages users. The <B>shared_ptr</B> template is
carefully crafted to meet common needs without extensive parameterization. Some
day a highly configurable smart pointer may be invented that is also very easy
to use and very hard to misuse. Until then, <B>shared_ptr</B> is the smart
pointer of choice for a wide range of applications. (Those interested in policy
based smart pointers should read <A href="http://cseng.aw.com/book/0,,0201704315,00.html">
Modern C++ Design</A> by Andrei Alexandrescu.)</P>
<P><B>Q.</B> I am not convinced. Default parameters can be used where appropriate
to hide the complexity. Again, why not policies?<BR>
<B>A.</B> Template parameters affect the type. See the answer to the first
question above.</P>
<p><b>Q.</b> Why doesn't <b>shared_ptr</b> use a linked list implementation?<br>
<b>A.</b> A linked list implementation does not offer enough advantages to
offset the added cost of an extra pointer. See <A href="smarttests.htm">timings</A>
page. In addition, it is expensive to make a linked list implementation thread
safe.</p>
<p><b>Q.</b> Why doesn't <b>shared_ptr</b> (or any of the other Boost smart
pointers) supply an automatic conversion to <b>T*</b>?<br>
<b>A.</b> Automatic conversion is believed to be too error prone.</p>
<p><b>Q.</b> Why does <b>shared_ptr</b> supply use_count()?<br>
<b>A.</b> As an aid to writing test cases and debugging displays. One of the
progenitors had use_count(), and it was useful in tracking down bugs in a
complex project that turned out to have cyclic-dependencies.</p>
<p><b>Q.</b> Why doesn't <b>shared_ptr</b> specify complexity requirements?<br>
<b>A.</b> Because complexity requirements limit implementors and complicate the
specification without apparent benefit to <b>shared_ptr</b> users. For example,
error-checking implementations might become non-conforming if they had to meet
stringent complexity requirements.</p>
<p><b>Q.</b> Why doesn't <b>shared_ptr</b> provide a release() function?<br>
<b>A.</b> <b>shared_ptr</b> cannot give away ownership unless it's unique()
because the other copy will still destroy the object.</p>
<p>Consider:</p>
<blockquote><pre>shared_ptr&lt;int&gt; a(new int);
2002-01-11 20:20:07 +00:00
shared_ptr&lt;int&gt; b(a); // a.use_count() == b.use_count() == 2
int * p = a.release();
// Who owns p now? b will still call delete on it in its destructor.</pre>
</blockquote>
<p><b>Q.</b> Why doesn't <b>shared_ptr</b> provide (your pet feature here)?<br>
<b>A.</b> Because (your pet feature here) would mandate a reference counted
implementation or a linked list implementation, or some other specific
implementation. This is not the intent.</p>
<hr>
2002-07-27 16:02:26 +00:00
<p>Revised <!--webbot bot="Timestamp" S-Type="EDITED" S-Format="%d %B %Y" startspan -->
2002-07-23 19:12:40 +00:00
23 July 2002<!--webbot bot="Timestamp" i-checksum="38439" endspan --></p>
<p>Copyright 1999 Greg Colvin and Beman Dawes. Copyright 2002 Darin Adler.
Copyright 2002 Peter Dimov. Permission to copy, use, modify, sell and
distribute this document is granted provided this copyright notice appears in
all copies. This document is provided "as is" without express or implied
warranty, and with no claim as to its suitability for any purpose.</p>
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