Re: [Boost-users] [Serialisation] Question on shared_ptr's and base/derived classes

From: Richard Damon (Richard_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-05-02 07:18:34

One comment is that:

Class A {
}; // No virtual destructor

Class B : public A {
}

shared_ptr<A>(new B)

Should cause UB as the shared pointer will will eventually call delete on
its parameter, and since A has no virtual destructor and is NOT the type the
object was created with, you get UB.

It basically boils down to the equivalent to this

A* ptr = new B;
delete ptr;

which is a no-no.

A NEEDS to have a virtual destructor to use it the way you are.
Richard