Re: [boost] Weak functor: Interested? (How to boost::bind to a weak_ptr)

Subject: Re: [boost] Weak functor: Interested? (How to boost::bind to a weak_ptr)
From: Emil Dotchevski (emildotchevski_at_[hidden])
Date: 2012-01-10 19:15:35

2012/1/10 Vladimír Třebický <vladimir.trebicky_at_[hidden]>
>
> On Tue, Jan 10, 2012 at 10:34 PM, Roman Perepelitsa
> >> boost::function<void(int)> f = boost::bind(boost::weak_fn(&Foo::bar,
> >> some_weak_ptr), _1);
> >> f(1);
> >>
> >
> > It's it better to bind &Foo::bar directly?
> >
> > Â boost::function<void(int)> f = boost::bind(&Foo::bar, some_weak_ptr, _1);
> >
> > Much simpler in my opinion.
>
> That cannot be done, boost::bind() indeed accepts references, pointers
> and shared_ptrs for member functions but doesn't accept weak pointers,
> because a weak pointer cannot be trivially converted to shared_ptr (or
> anything that leads to the corresponding class instance).

Indeed, I've needed similar functionality in a system designed to
support dynamically loaded modules. I have:

template <class T>
void register_function( boost::shared_ptr<function_directory> const &,
name const &, boost::function<T> const &, boost::weak_ptr<void> const
& lifetime );

template <class T>
boost::function<T> lock_function( boost::shared_ptr<function_directory
const> const &, name const & );

The passed lifetime weak_ptr is initialized from a shared_ptr that
keeps the loaded module afloat. Locking the function throws if the
module was unloaded, otherwise the returned boost::function<T> keeps
the module afloat until discarded.

Something similar could be implemented as a pair of types,
boost::shared_function and boost::weak_function, the semantics being
analogous to boost::shared_ptr and boost::weak_ptr.

Emil Dotchevski
Reverge Studios, Inc.
http://www.revergestudios.com/reblog/index.php?n=ReCode