Re: [boost] [shared_ptr] delete shared_ptr

Subject: Re: [boost] [shared_ptr] delete shared_ptr
From: Kenny Riddile (kfriddile_at_[hidden])
Date: 2011-03-18 09:44:02

On 3/18/2011 2:40 AM, Sid Sacek wrote:
>
> I think it's simply stating an intention; the intention being that the current shared pointer is no longer interesting in the shared object; who cares if the shared object gets deleted under the covers. This is the mentality that one needs to have in a garbage-collected environment, since you get the same exact effect when you set a reference to null.
>

But it doesn't state that intention at all.  The intention it very 
clearly states is that something *is* being deleted.  The word "delete" 
has a very specific meaning in the English language.  Assigning the 
shared_ptr to null or to another shared_ptr tracking a different object 
*does* state that intention, but "delete p;" and "p = 0;" are not, and 
should not, be the same.