[boost] Re: Array support [was SmartPtr (Loki) - auto_ptr/movec'torissue]

From: Andrei Alexandrescu (andrewalex_at_[hidden])
Date: 2003-02-03 14:44:14

"Howard Hinnant" <hinnant_at_[hidden]> wrote in message
news:D82ECED1-3784-11D7-AB9E-003065D18932_at_twcny.rr.com...
> On Sunday, February 2, 2003, at 11:40  PM, Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
>
> > By and large, I believe "smart pointers to arrays" are an oxymoron and
> > should not be supported.
>
> Why?

The reasons are explained in MC++D. Here's my take:

1. Arrays of polymorphic objects don't work.

2. If I wanna arrays of monomorphic objects I can use std::vector.

3. If I wanna arrays of monomorphic objects and std::vector's performance
is unsatisfactory to me, I can use the typed buffers
(http://www.moderncppdesign.com/publications/cuj-08-2001.html,
http://www.moderncppdesign.com/publications/cuj-10-2001.html,
http://www.moderncppdesign.com/publications/cuj-12-2001.html) that are
present in the up-and-coming YASLI.

4. So there's no reason I'd ever wanna have smart pointers to arrays.

Andrei