[boost] Re: Downcast a shared_ptr?

From: Ed Brey (brey_at_[hidden])
Date: 2000-01-18 16:48:06

From: "Greg Colvin" <gcolvin_at_[hidden]>
>
> Do we really need anything beyond dynamic cast?  The reinterpret
> cast is too dangerous,  and it seems that static cast is already
> provided for:
>    shared_ptr<Derived> derived(new Derived);
>    shared_ptr<Base> base(derived);

This provides for static upcast.  But what about static downcast?  Maybe
something like:

    shared_ptr<Base> base(new Base);
    shared_ptr<Derived> derived(do_static_cast<Derived>(base));

A do_dynamic_cast is also needed.  I'd hate for the programmer to not have
the choice of whether to use a static or dynamic cast.