[boost] dumb_ptr<>

From: Noel Yap (Noel.Yap_at_[hidden])
Date: 2003-04-15 07:30:43

This has probably been asked many times, but here it goes: Why doesn't
boost have a dumb_ptr<> to replace the "left-over" use of free pointers
(eg no ownership semantics, copyable, ...)?

For example, if I wanted to transfer ownership, I'd do something like:

  extern std::auto_ptr< C > createC();

OTOH, there's a lot of legacy code that has:

  extern C* createC();

Which means if I wanted to write a function that doesn't pass ownership,
its ownership semantics is ambiguous:

  extern C* blah();  // should pointer be free'd by caller?

If, instead, I could do:

  extern dumb_ptr< C > blah();

the intent is clearer.

Thanks,
Noel