Smart pointers in C++11: unique_ptr and shared

Lecture 4 - Slide 14 : 40

Smart pointers in C++11: unique_ptr and shared_ptr

A smart pointer encapsulates a pointer in a object - it acts as a resource handle

Smart pointers use the RAII idea

unique_ptr
- A unique pointer owns the encapsulated pointer
- A unique pointer cannot be copied - it can be moved
- The object pointed to is deleted when the unique pointer is destroyed (as an object that goes out of scope, for instance)
shared_ptr
- Two or more shared pointers can encapsulate pointers to the same underlying object
- Shared pointers keep track of the number of pointers to a given object - reference counting
  - Via use of a separate manager object
- The object pointed to is deleted when no more shared pointer objects refer to it