Course Content

C++ Smart Pointers

1. Introduction to Smart Pointers

Understanding Pointers and Heap Memory The Need For Smart Pointers Smart Pointer Use Cases References Use Cases Benefits of Using Smart Pointers and References

2. Unique Pointers

What Are Unique Pointers?Creating Unique Pointers Application For Unique Pointers Passing Around Unique Pointers Inner Workings of a Unique Pointer Unique Pointers and Templates

3. Shared Pointers

What Are Shared Pointers?Creating and Sharing Shared Pointers Shared Pointer Functions to Remember Shared Pointers vs Unique Pointers Best Practices of Using Shared Pointers Shared Pointers Practice

4. Weak Pointers

Understanding Weak Pointers Creating And Using Weak Pointers Breaking Circular References With Weak Pointers Important Weak Pointer Functions

5. References

How Are References Different From Pointers?Constant References And Immutability When to Use References vs Smart Pointers vs Raw Pointers References Best Practices

6. Advanced topics

Providing Custom Deleters For Smart Pointers Real-World Applications of Smart Pointers Performance Considerations With Smart Pointers Definitive Guide to Shared vs Unique vs Weak Pointers

Unique Pointers and Templates

Unique pointers can be used with templates for efficient and reliable dynamic memory management. You can use this combination to create generic classes, functions, and algorithms.

Generic classes

Generic classes with templated unique pointers are an excellent way to manage different kinds of resources without having to repeat code. For example, you can define a generic Container class as follows:

genericContainer


              12345678910
            
// a template class which can hold different types of data
template <typename T>
class Container {
private:
    std::unique_ptr<T> data; //the templated unique pointer object. 
public:
    // the constructor of our generic class, which can receive different types of values.
    Container(T value) : data(std::make_unique<T>(value)) {}  
    T getValue() { return *data; }
};

This class allows you to create Container objects for various data types, with the unique pointer automatically managing the memory for each type.

Generic functions

Using templates, you can also create generic functions that work with unique pointers.

genericFuns


              12345
            
template <typename T>
// a generic function that receives a unique pointer of type T
void ModifyValue(std::unique_ptr<T>& ptr, T newValue) {
    *ptr = newValue;
}

The above function can be used with unique pointers of different types with guaranteed type safety and proper memory management. For example, it can be called as follows:

In the above code, we change the pointed value (of integer type) of the unique pointer from 42 to 100 using our generic function. The function can similarly be called for string, float, or double types.

Advantages of using unique pointers with templates

Writing templated code with unique pointers offers many benefits, including:

Consistency and type safety: Templates foster consistent coding practices. When you use unique pointers with templates, you establish a standard approach to memory management and genericity across your codebase. This leads to a more predictable behavior and less memory related issues.
Code reusability: Combining unique pointers with templates allows you to write generic code that works with different data types. This enables you to adhere to the DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) principle.
Automatic cleanup: Unique pointers automatically release the memory when they go out of scope. This simplifies memory management when working with templates.

Task

Create a generic container class using unique pointers. The container should be able to safely hold various types of objects. Use the comments in the following code as instructions.

Task

Create a generic container class using unique pointers. The container should be able to safely hold various types of objects. Use the comments in the following code as instructions.

Switch to desktop for real-world practiceContinue from where you are using one of the options below

Everything was clear?

Section 2. Chapter 6

Unique Pointers and Templates

Unique pointers can be used with templates for efficient and reliable dynamic memory management. You can use this combination to create generic classes, functions, and algorithms.

Generic classes

genericContainer


              12345678910
            
// a template class which can hold different types of data
template <typename T>
class Container {
private:
    std::unique_ptr<T> data; //the templated unique pointer object. 
public:
    // the constructor of our generic class, which can receive different types of values.
    Container(T value) : data(std::make_unique<T>(value)) {}  
    T getValue() { return *data; }
};

This class allows you to create Container objects for various data types, with the unique pointer automatically managing the memory for each type.

Generic functions

Using templates, you can also create generic functions that work with unique pointers.

genericFuns


              12345
            
template <typename T>
// a generic function that receives a unique pointer of type T
void ModifyValue(std::unique_ptr<T>& ptr, T newValue) {
    *ptr = newValue;
}

The above function can be used with unique pointers of different types with guaranteed type safety and proper memory management. For example, it can be called as follows:

Advantages of using unique pointers with templates

Writing templated code with unique pointers offers many benefits, including:

Consistency and type safety: Templates foster consistent coding practices. When you use unique pointers with templates, you establish a standard approach to memory management and genericity across your codebase. This leads to a more predictable behavior and less memory related issues.
Code reusability: Combining unique pointers with templates allows you to write generic code that works with different data types. This enables you to adhere to the DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) principle.
Automatic cleanup: Unique pointers automatically release the memory when they go out of scope. This simplifies memory management when working with templates.

Task

Create a generic container class using unique pointers. The container should be able to safely hold various types of objects. Use the comments in the following code as instructions.

Task

Create a generic container class using unique pointers. The container should be able to safely hold various types of objects. Use the comments in the following code as instructions.

Switch to desktop for real-world practiceContinue from where you are using one of the options below

Everything was clear?

Section 2. Chapter 6

Unique Pointers and Templates

Unique pointers can be used with templates for efficient and reliable dynamic memory management. You can use this combination to create generic classes, functions, and algorithms.

Generic classes

genericContainer


              12345678910
            
// a template class which can hold different types of data
template <typename T>
class Container {
private:
    std::unique_ptr<T> data; //the templated unique pointer object. 
public:
    // the constructor of our generic class, which can receive different types of values.
    Container(T value) : data(std::make_unique<T>(value)) {}  
    T getValue() { return *data; }
};

This class allows you to create Container objects for various data types, with the unique pointer automatically managing the memory for each type.

Generic functions

Using templates, you can also create generic functions that work with unique pointers.

genericFuns


              12345
            
template <typename T>
// a generic function that receives a unique pointer of type T
void ModifyValue(std::unique_ptr<T>& ptr, T newValue) {
    *ptr = newValue;
}

The above function can be used with unique pointers of different types with guaranteed type safety and proper memory management. For example, it can be called as follows:

Advantages of using unique pointers with templates

Writing templated code with unique pointers offers many benefits, including:

Consistency and type safety: Templates foster consistent coding practices. When you use unique pointers with templates, you establish a standard approach to memory management and genericity across your codebase. This leads to a more predictable behavior and less memory related issues.
Code reusability: Combining unique pointers with templates allows you to write generic code that works with different data types. This enables you to adhere to the DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) principle.
Automatic cleanup: Unique pointers automatically release the memory when they go out of scope. This simplifies memory management when working with templates.

Task

Create a generic container class using unique pointers. The container should be able to safely hold various types of objects. Use the comments in the following code as instructions.

Task

Create a generic container class using unique pointers. The container should be able to safely hold various types of objects. Use the comments in the following code as instructions.

Switch to desktop for real-world practiceContinue from where you are using one of the options below

Everything was clear?

Unique pointers can be used with templates for efficient and reliable dynamic memory management. You can use this combination to create generic classes, functions, and algorithms.

Generic classes

genericContainer


              12345678910
            
// a template class which can hold different types of data
template <typename T>
class Container {
private:
    std::unique_ptr<T> data; //the templated unique pointer object. 
public:
    // the constructor of our generic class, which can receive different types of values.
    Container(T value) : data(std::make_unique<T>(value)) {}  
    T getValue() { return *data; }
};

This class allows you to create Container objects for various data types, with the unique pointer automatically managing the memory for each type.

Generic functions

Using templates, you can also create generic functions that work with unique pointers.

genericFuns


              12345
            
template <typename T>
// a generic function that receives a unique pointer of type T
void ModifyValue(std::unique_ptr<T>& ptr, T newValue) {
    *ptr = newValue;
}

The above function can be used with unique pointers of different types with guaranteed type safety and proper memory management. For example, it can be called as follows:

Advantages of using unique pointers with templates

Writing templated code with unique pointers offers many benefits, including:

Consistency and type safety: Templates foster consistent coding practices. When you use unique pointers with templates, you establish a standard approach to memory management and genericity across your codebase. This leads to a more predictable behavior and less memory related issues.
Code reusability: Combining unique pointers with templates allows you to write generic code that works with different data types. This enables you to adhere to the DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) principle.
Automatic cleanup: Unique pointers automatically release the memory when they go out of scope. This simplifies memory management when working with templates.

Task

Create a generic container class using unique pointers. The container should be able to safely hold various types of objects. Use the comments in the following code as instructions.

Switch to desktop for real-world practiceContinue from where you are using one of the options below

Section 2. Chapter 6

Switch to desktop for real-world practiceContinue from where you are using one of the options below