Logo Questions Linux Laravel Mysql Ubuntu Git Menu
 

std::unique_ptr and pointer-to-pointer

Tags:

c++11

com

I've been using std::unique_ptr to store some COM resources, and provided a custom deleter function. However, many of the COM functions want pointer-to-pointer. Right now, I'm using the implementation detail of _Myptr, in my compiler. Is it going to break unique_ptr to be accessing this data member directly, or should I store a gajillion temporary pointers to construct unique_ptr rvalues from?

like image 810
Puppy Avatar asked Dec 19 '10 20:12

Puppy


People also ask

What is std :: unique_ptr?

std::unique_ptr is a smart pointer that owns and manages another object through a pointer and disposes of that object when the unique_ptr goes out of scope. The object is disposed of, using the associated deleter when either of the following happens: the managing unique_ptr object is destroyed.

What does unique_ptr get do?

std::unique_ptr::getReturns the stored pointer. The stored pointer points to the object managed by the unique_ptr, if any, or to nullptr if the unique_ptr is empty.

Can unique_ptr be copied?

A unique_ptr does not share its pointer. It cannot be copied to another unique_ptr , passed by value to a function, or used in any C++ Standard Library algorithm that requires copies to be made. A unique_ptr can only be moved.

How do you dereference a unique pointer?

The unique_ptr shall not be empty (i.e., its stored pointer shall not be a null pointer) in order to be dereferenciable. This can easily be checked by casting the unique_ptr object to bool (see unique_ptr::operator bool). It is equivalent to: *get().


1 Answers

COM objects are reference-countable by their nature, so you shouldn't use anything except reference-counting smart pointers like ATL::CComPtr or _com_ptr_t even if it seems inappropriate for your usecase (I fully understand your concerns, I just think you assign too much weight to them). Both classes are designed to be used in all valid scenarios that arise when COM objects are used, including obtaining the pointer-to-pointer. Yes, that's a bit too much functionality, but if you don't expect any specific negative consequences you can't tolerate you should just use those classes - they are designed exactly for this purpose.

like image 91
sharptooth Avatar answered Oct 15 '22 12:10

sharptooth