Re: [boost] shared_ptr feature request: void_pointer_cast

From: Jeff Williams (jwilliams_at_[hidden])
Date: 2004-08-20 07:12:28

> Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2004 21:09:07 -0400
> From: "Joe Gottman" <jgottman_at_[hidden]>
> Subject: [boost] shared_ptr feature request: void_pointer_cast
> 
>    I know this isn't the best time to request a new feature, but I just had
> an idea for an extremely useful new function for shared_ptr.  It is common
> to use a shared_ptr<void> in places where a void * would otherwise be used.
> While a void * can point to anything, there is no safe way to determine at
> run-time what type it originally pointed to. Casting it to the wrong type
> can result in undefined behavior.

How is this idea any different that just using boost::shared_ptr<boost::any> ?

Jeff