template class Pointer<class>

(Return to index)

Reference-counted pointer.

This template class implements a pointer with reference counting in collaboration with the class RCObject. It is modelled after the class RCPtr described in: {center} Scott Meyers, More Effective C++, Addison Wesley, 1996, pg. 195. {/center} When the pointer goes out of scope, the pointee's reference count is decremented, and, if it becomes zero, the pointee is deleted. When a Pointer is assigned, the pointee's reference count is incremented.

Type:	Instantiable
Include file:	./MemoryManagement/Pointer.hh

Synopsis (including inherited members):

• Public members:
  • Pointer () ;
  • Pointer (const Pointer&) ;
  • Pointer (Object*) ;
  • ~Pointer () ;
  • Pointer& operator= (const Pointer&) ;
  • Pointer& operator= (Object*) ;
  • Object* operator-> ()const ;
  • Object& operator* ()const ;
  • bool operator== (const Pointer&)const ;
  • bool operator!= (const Pointer&)const ;
  • bool isValid ()const ;
  • void unique () ;

Documentation:

• Public members:

  Pointer () ;

  Default constructor.
  Set the pointer to NULL.

  Pointer (const Pointer&) ;

  Copy constructor.
  Increment reference count of pointee.

  Pointer (Object*) ;

  Constructor.
  Grab an object just created by "new" and set its reference count to one.

  bool isValid ()const ;

  Test for validity.
  Return true, if the pointer is not NULL.

  bool operator!= (const Pointer&)const ;

  Pointer inequality.

  Object& operator* ()const ;

  Dereferencing operator.
  Return a reference to the object.

  Object* operator-> ()const ;

  Delegation operator.
  Return a C-type pointer to the object.

  Pointer& operator= (const Pointer&) ;

  Assign.
  Increment reference count of pointee.

  Pointer& operator= (Object*) ;

  Assign.
  Grab an object just created by "new" and set its reference count to one.

  bool operator== (const Pointer&)const ;

  Pointer equality.

  void unique () ;

  Force unique.
  Copy the object and make *this point to it.

  ~Pointer () ;

  Destructor.
  Decrement reference count and delete object if it reaches zero.