Re: [boost] [review][pimpl_ptr] Pimpl Pointer review (COW)

From: Rene Rivera (grafik.list_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-05-20 11:27:35

Tobias Schwinger wrote:
> Rene Rivera wrote:
>> I think we all have to keep in mind the scope of this utility. It not 
>> meant to solve all the pointer uses. 
> 
> I understand your concern, still, in my eyes COW is just another 
> application of the handle/body pattern and thus not /that/ far 
> away from the scope of this submission. 
[...]
>>  From my experience, you don't because at that point you would use some 
>> other kind of pointer. Most likely a reference counted pointer that can 
>> travel across DLL boundaries.
>     template<typename T> void dispose_func(void* ptr) 
>     { delete static_cast<T*>(ptr); }

Yes I do know how the DLL boundary issue is solve ;-) My point is the 
reference counting... What is being suggested, by you and others, is to 
have a reference counted pointer with deep copy semantics implemented as 
copy on write for efficiency. And in my opinion at that point you are 
looking at the territory of shared_ptr/weak_ptr, and hence outside of 
the intended scope of the pimpl_ptr submission.

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