Re: [boost] cyclic_ptr

From: Greg Colvin (gcolvin_at_[hidden])
Date: 2001-05-26 18:20:27

From: John Max Skaller <skaller_at_[hidden]>
> Greg Colvin wrote:
> > 
> I've had a look at Gregs cyclic_ptr system.

Thank you.

> This is a nice system. The main advantage is ease
> of use: unlike Felix GC, there are no shape objects,
> since the cyclic_ptr itself records where pointers are.
> 
> The technique is also partly non-invasive: you can
> collect any type T, but if T has pointers to collectable
> objects, they need to be cyclic_ptrs.

And there is a subtle constraint on operator=, which I
regret.

It would be a good thing if the C++ runtime could
provide something like shape objects automatically.
Garbage collectors and serialization tools would then
be much easier to write.

> The main disadvantages seem to be that the collector
> is global (which could be fixed by passing a second
> argument along with each raw pointer?).

It could be, but see my response to you and Bjarne on
another thread.