how to delete singleton object

Question

Assuming this implementation of a singleton pattern ( of course we should avoid Singleton: it is just question), I have just been thinking about static object being created. It is created on heap by a new operator, sure, but how is this destroyed? In following example we have a leak, so how one should implement deletion of static singleton object? Should there be a please_delete() public interface adopted, so one can call myC->please_delete() or is there other way to achieve this?

class CC{
public:
    static CC* cObj(){
        if(c_ptr==NULL){
            c_ptr=new CC();
            return c_ptr;
        }else return c_ptr;
    }
    int getValue(){return value_;}
    void setValue(int val){value_=val;}
    ~CC(){cout<<"~CC";}
private:
    CC():value_(12345){cout<<"CC";}
    static CC* c_ptr;
    int value_;
};
// Allocating and initializing CC's
// static data member.  The pointer is being
// allocated - not the object itself.
CC *CC::c_ptr = 0;

int main(){
    //Singleton pattern
    CC* myC = CC::cObj();
    cout<<myC->getValue();
    return 0;
}

output: CC12345

RUN SUCCESSFUL (total time: 67ms)

I noticed that indeed we can always declare singleton static instance within shared_ptr as with boost::shared_ptr<CC> bCptr(CC::cObj()); but Singleton pattern doesn't mention the problem of deletion of the object at all so maybe there exists some other approach?

Answer 1

Part of the Singleton design pattern is that it is indestructible.

EDIT:

There are 2 varieties of singletons with respect to destructibility:

1. Destructible (They die when the application does)
2. Indestructible (They die when the machine does)

Either way, if built properly, once the singleton instance is created, it stays. This one of the major criticisms of the Singleton design pattern.

Here are a few references that address the destructibility aspect of the pattern.

http://nicolabonelli.wordpress.com/2009/06/04/singleton-a-mirage-of-perfection/ http://www10.informatik.uni-erlangen.de/Teaching/Courses/SS2009/CPP/altmann.pdf http://sourcemaking.com/design_patterns/singleton http://sourcemaking.com/design_patterns/to_kill_a_singleton