Re: RE: [boost] shared_prt, will it crash?

From: David B. Held (dheld_at_[hidden])
Date: 2002-03-21 15:12:18

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "E. Gladyshev" <egladysh_at_[hidden]>
To: <boost_at_[hidden]>
Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2002 11:41 AM
Subject: RE: RE: [boost] shared_prt, will it crash?

> [...]
> The fool() function could be a generic function
> that is called from different contexts.
> 
> fool() is very dumn and doesn't want to learn
> anything about memory allocation tricks.
> Fortunately fool() knows a very smart guy, named
> shared_ptr<>,... but is he really smart?

The thing is that shared_ptr *assumes ownership
of the data*.  When you create a smart pointer
from a raw pointer, you are saying: "I want this
smart pointer to take control of when this object
gets destructed."  If you cannot guarantee that
*you* have ownership of the data in question, then
you have no authority to pass that ownership on to
a smart pointer.  Only use shared_ptr when you
can guarantee that you indeed have ownership
of the data, and are allowed to call delete on it.

Dave