Mastering C++ Programming

Smart pointers

In C++, smart pointers let you focus on the problem at hand by freeing you from the worries of dealing with custom garbage collection techniques. Smart pointers let you use raw pointers safely. They take the responsibility of cleaning up the memory used by raw pointers.  

C++ supports many types of smart pointers that can be used in different scenarios:

• auto_ptr
• unique_ptr
• shared_ptr
• weak_ptr

The auto_ptr smart pointer was introduced in C++11. An auto_ptr smart pointer helps release the heap memory automatically when it goes out of scope. However, due to the way auto_ptr transfers ownership from one auto_ptr instance to another, it was deprecated and unique_ptr was introduced as its replacement. The shared_ptr smart pointer ...