Smart Pointer Package

Threads Module Reference Guide
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2.6 Smart Pointer Package

2.6.1 Description

The Smart Pointer package includes a generic singleton template class, a simple pointer wrapper, and two varieties of thread-safe reference-counted pointers. The classes that provide these features are shown in Figure 8. The Smart Pointer package also provides the Threads Module with the base classes for handle-body implementation, as shown in Figure 9.

See Chapter 7 of the Threads Module User's Guide for a complete information on how to use the Smart Pointer package.

2.6.2 Smart Pointer Class Hierarchy

Figure 8: Smart Pointer class hierarchy

The classes in the hierarchy include formal template parameters that represent the types of associated objects. These parameters include:

Body -- The type of the pointed-to object

Counter -- The type of the reference-counter

Mutex -- The type of the synchronization mechanism

Figure 9: Handle-body base classes

2.6.3 Index of Smart Pointer Classes

Table 6 contains an alphabetical listing of the public classes and global functions and macros in the Smart Pointer package.

Table 6: Index of Smart Pointer classes

Class Name	Description
*RWAtomicCounter*	A class for maintaining a reference count. More efficient than *RWTCounter<RWMutexLock>* where possible.
*RWBodyBase*	Base class for body classes.
*RWHandleBase*	Base class for handle classes.
*RWSafeCounter*	A typedef that implements the multithread-safe reference-counter, which can be used as the counter template parameter for *RWTCountingPointer*.
*RWTCountedPointer<Body>*	A smart pointer class that is intended for use as a handle to a reference-counting body.
*RWTCounter<Mutex>*	A class for maintaining a reference count. Uses the template type as a lock for atomicity.
*RWTCountingBody<Mutex>*	A base class for classes that must maintain a reference count.
*RWTCountingPointer<Body, Counter=RWSafeCounter>*	Defines a reference-counted pointer that provides reference counting semantics for objects that do not directly support reference counting.
*RWTOnlyPointer<Body>*	An abstraction that simplifies the use of pointers referring to objects on the heap. It doesn't do reference-counting on the body; rather, it is based on the idea of strict ownership semantics.
*RWTPointer<Body>*	Base class for the smart-pointer classes in the pointer package.
*RWTSingleton<T>*	Ensures that a class has only one instance, and provides a global point of access to it.
*RWUnsafeCounter*	A typedef that implements an unsafe counter that can be used for reference counting where multithread safety is not required. This typedef can be used as the counter template parameter for *RWTCountingPointer*.

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