12.1.6. weak_ptr


A weak_ptr
(Table 12.5) is a smart pointer that does not control the lifetime of the object to which it points. Instead, a weak_ptr
points to an object that is managed by a shared_ptr
. Binding a weak_ptr
to a shared_ptr
does not change the reference count of that shared_ptr
. Once the last shared_ptr
pointing to the object goes away, the object itself will be deleted. That object will be deleted even if there are weak_ptr
s pointing to it—hence the name weak_ptr
, which captures the idea that a weak_ptr
shares its object “weakly.” ...
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