Re: [boost] Curiousity question

Subject: Re: [boost] Curiousity question
From: Daniela Engert (dani_at_[hidden])
Date: 2016-10-14 11:43:05

Am 13.10.2016 um 20:01 schrieb Edward Diener:
> On 10/13/2016 1:36 PM, Daniela Engert wrote:
>> Am 13.10.2016 um 00:58 schrieb Edward Diener:

>>> 4) Use neither, you roll your own shared pointer-like functionality
>>
>> The last library that I designed also for use by external customers, I
>> rolled my own 'handle' type which is completely opaque to users which
>> see just a struct with no more than one single uintptr_t member. Under
>> the covers it is a boost::intrusive_ptr. The idea is to prevent
>> accidental misuse and not to force users taking a dependency on boost.
>> The library itself is taking advantage of any boost functionality it
>> sees fit.
> 
> OK, thanks ! I assume that actual implementation code for your opaque
> type is in the built portion of a non header-only library.

Exactly! These 'handles' refer to USB devices which may come and go.
There's a 'weak handle' as well, which doesn't give access to a device
but rather observes it's presence state and it's unique device instance
name only. Users may construct handles only in the empty state, actual
references to devices are handed out to client code by the library. And
as long as there are any outstanding non-empty handles in client code,
the DLL is kept locked in memory. Otherwise it may be unloaded from the
process thereby freeing any remaining resources still lingering in the
kernel's driver stack.

Ciao
   Dani