[boost] Re: [shared_ptr] dealing with shared_ptr and cycles

From: David Abrahams (dave_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-06-07 09:59:20

Lorenzo Bettini <bettini_at_[hidden]> writes:

> David Abrahams wrote:
>> Lorenzo Bettini <bettini_at_[hidden]> writes:
>> 
>>>David Abrahams wrote:
>>>
>>>>Can you deal with deallocation of the whole network at once?  It often
>>>>works to maintain the nodes (C objects) in a container like a deque
>>>>and let them link to one another with raw pointers.
>>>>Otherwise you may be in need of a real GC.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I solved the problem in a (probably) not too elegant way: when I
>>> know that I'm creating objects with mutual dependences say A and B
>>> I store weak pointers, and I store a shared pointer to A and B into
>>> a list.  As long as the list survives the weak pointers are still
>>> valid.  When I want to deallocate everything, all I have to do is
>>> to deallocate the list.  This worked, and also valgrind says there
>>> are no leaks...
>> The smart pointers may not be buying you much of anything in that
>> case.
>> 
>
> so what could be an alternative?

What I suggested up there in the message you quoted.  Note your class
was called 'C'; I wasn't referring to the C language.

-- 
Dave Abrahams
Boost Consulting
www.boost-consulting.com