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CppSmartPointer

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(C++) Smart pointer

'A smart pointer is a C++ class that mimics a regular pointer in syntax and some semantics, but it does more.', cited from Andrei Alexandrescu.

Smart pointers are classes around a pointer, to prevent errors.

Boiled down to the essential resource management, a smart pointer (in this case a std::auto_ptr) looks like this (slightly modified from [1]):

//auto_ptr boiled down to resource management (note that it cannot do anything except that)
template <class T>
class auto_ptr 
{
  public:
  auto_ptr(T * anyPointer = 0) :  mPointer(anyPointer) {}
  ~auto_ptr() { delete mPointer; }
  private:
  T * mPointer;
};

Some examples of smart pointers are:

• std::auto_ptr (transfer of ownership on copy of pointer)
• boost::scoped_ptr (non-transferrable ownership of pointer)
• boost::scoped_array (non-transferrable ownership of array)
• boost::shared_ptr (shared ownership of pointer)
• boost::shared_array (shared ownership of array)
• boost::weak_ptr
• boost::intrusive_ptr

boost:: denotes that this smart pointer is from the Boost C++ Library.

Reference

• 1) Scott Meyers More Effective C++

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