Re: [boost] shared_ptr improvement proposal

From: Dave Harris (brangdon_at_[hidden])
Date: 2004-08-08 09:59:18

In-Reply-To: <200408061504.i76F4EW20044_at_[hidden]>
stewart_at_[hidden] (Rob Stewart) wrote (abridged):
> Note, however, that "rawptr" is rather terse for something you're
> trying to call attention to.

I liked the terseness. To be honest I am less likely to use new features 
if they are verbose. "boost::raw_ptr()" is already 16 characters. Surely 
the main benefit comes from being able to search for raw_ptr with tools 
like grep, rather than with eyeballs?

The later suggestion of writing:

    boost::shared_ptr<Widget> p = boost::shared_ptr_cast<Widget>(new 
Widget);

is even more verbose and repetitive, the word "Widget" occurring 3 times. 
The original proposal:

    boost::shared_ptr<Widget> wp2 = boost::raw_ptr(new Widget(a, b));

at least fits into 80 columns.

Is it time to wrap operator new()? For example:

    boost::shared_ptr<Widget> wp2 = boost::make<Widget>(a, b);

with something like:

    template <typename R, typename A, typename B>
    inline raw_ptr_t<R> make( A &a, B &b ) {
        return raw_ptr_t<R>( new R( a, b ) );
    }

Users being allowed to specialise make<> with their own factory code if 
desired.

-- Dave Harris, Nottingham, UK