Smart Pointers in C++

A smart pointer is a class that wraps a raw pointer and automatically manages the lifetime of dynamically allocated memory.

• It ensures proper resource deallocation by automatically releasing the memory when the pointer goes out of scope, thus preventing memory leaks and dangling pointers.
• Smart pointers are defined in the <memory> header and include types such as std::unique_ptr, std::shared_ptr, and std::weak_ptr.

Problem with Raw Pointers (Memory Leak Example)

#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

int main() {
    while (1) {
        int* ptr = new int;
    }
    return 0;
}

Explanation:

• Memory is allocated repeatedly using new.
• The allocated memory is never released using delete.
• This results in a memory leak, eventually exhausting system memory.

Types of Smart Pointers

1. auto_ptr (Deprecated)

auto_ptr was an early smart pointer that automatically deleted the managed object when it went out of scope.

#include <iostream>
#include <memory>
using namespace std;

int main() {
    auto_ptr<int> ptr1(new int(10));
    cout << *ptr1 << endl;

    auto_ptr<int> ptr2 = ptr1;  // ownership transfer
    cout << *ptr2;
    return 0;
}

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10

Key Points:

• Ownership is transferred, leaving the original pointer invalid.
• Copy semantics are unsafe and error-prone.

Note: auto_ptr is deprecated after C++11 and it remove after C++ version 17.

2. unique_ptr

unique_ptr stores one pointer only at a time. We cannot copy unique_ptr, only transfer ownership of the object to another unique_ptr using the move() method.

#include <iostream>
#include <memory>
using namespace std;

class Rectangle {
    int length, breadth;

public:
    Rectangle(int l, int b) : length(l), breadth(b) {}
    int area() { return length * breadth; }
};

int main() {
    unique_ptr<Rectangle> P1(new Rectangle(10, 5));
    cout << P1->area() << endl;

    unique_ptr<Rectangle> P2;
    P2 = move(P1);  // ownership transfer

    cout << P2->area();
    return 0;
}

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50

Key Points

• Only one unique_ptr can own an object at a time.
• Lightweight and efficient.
• Ideal for single ownership scenarios.

3. shared_ptr

shared_ptr allows multiple pointers to share ownership of the same object. It uses reference counting to manage memory.

#include <iostream>
#include <memory>
using namespace std;

class Rectangle {
    int length, breadth;

public:
    Rectangle(int l, int b) : length(l), breadth(b) {}
    int area() { return length * breadth; }
};

int main() {
    shared_ptr<Rectangle> P1(new Rectangle(10, 5));
    shared_ptr<Rectangle> P2 = P1;

    cout << P1->area() << endl;
    cout << P2->area() << endl;
    cout << P1.use_count();
    return 0;
}

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50
2

4. weak_ptr

weak_ptr is a non-owning smart pointer used with shared_ptr to prevent circular dependencies.

Key Characteristics

• Does not increase reference count
• Prevents circular dependency
• Must be converted using lock() before use

Problem: Circular Dependency with shared_ptr

If two objects hold shared_ptr to each other:

• Reference count never reaches zero
• Memory leak occurs

This is the reason we use weak pointers(weak_ptr) as they are not reference counted. So, the class in which weak_ptr is declared doesn’t have a stronghold over it i.e. the ownership isn’t shared, but they can have access to these objects.

So, in the case of shared_ptr because of cyclic dependency use_count never reaches zero which is prevented by using weak_ptr, which removes this problem by declaring A_ptr as weak_ptr, thus class A does not own it, only has access to it and we also need to check the validity of object as it may go out of scope. In general, it is a design issue.

#include <iostream>
#include <memory>
using namespace std;

class Rectangle {
    int length, breadth;

public:
    Rectangle(int l, int b) : length(l), breadth(b) {}
    int area() { return length * breadth; }
};

int main() {
    shared_ptr<Rectangle> P1(new Rectangle(10, 5));
    weak_ptr<Rectangle> P2(P1);

    cout << P1->area() << endl;
    cout << P2.use_count();
    return 0;
}

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1

Problems with Normal Pointers

• Memory Leaks: This occurs when memory is repeatedly allocated by a program but never freed. This leads to excessive memory consumption and eventually leads to a system crash. 
• Wild Pointers: A pointer that never be initialize with valid object or address called wild pointer.
• Dangling Pointers: Assume there is a pointer that refers to memory which was deallocated earlier in the program, that pointer is called a dangling pointer.

Pointers vs Smart Pointers