std::weak_ptr::owner_before

 

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Dynamic memory management

Smart pointers unique_ptr (C++11) shared_ptr (C++11) weak_ptr (C++11) auto_ptr (until C++17) owner_less (C++11) enable_shared_from_this (C++11) bad_weak_ptr (C++11) default_delete (C++11) Allocators allocator allocator_traits (C++11) allocator_arg_t (C++11) allocator_arg (C++11) uses_allocator (C++11) uses_allocator_construction_args (C++20) make_obj_using_allocator (C++20) uninitialized_construct_using_allocator (C++20) scoped_allocator_adaptor (C++11) pmr::polymorphic_allocator (C++17) Memory resources pmr::memory_resource (C++17) pmr::get_default_resource (C++17) pmr::set_default_resource (C++17) pmr::new_delete_resource (C++17) pmr::null_memory_resource (C++17) pmr::synchronized_pool_resource (C++17) pmr::unsynchronized_pool_resource (C++17) pmr::monotonic_buffer_resource (C++17) pmr::pool_options (C++17)

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std::weak_ptr

Member functions

weak_ptr::weak_ptr

weak_ptr::~weak_ptr

weak_ptr::operator=

Modifiers

weak_ptr::reset

weak_ptr::swap

Observers

weak_ptr::use_count

weak_ptr::expired

weak_ptr::lock

weak_ptr::owner_before

Non-member functions

std::swap

Helper classes

std::atomic<std::weak_ptr> (C++20)

Deduction guides(C++17)

 

template< class Y > bool owner_before( const weak_ptr<Y>& other) const;		(until C++17)
template< class Y > bool owner_before( const weak_ptr<Y>& other) const noexcept;		(since C++17)
template< class Y > bool owner_before( const std::shared_ptr<Y>& other) const;		(until C++17)
template< class Y > bool owner_before( const std::shared_ptr<Y>& other) const noexcept;		(since C++17)

Checks whether this weak_ptr precedes other in implementation defined owner-based (as opposed to value-based) order. The order is such that two smart pointers compare equivalent only if they are both empty or if they both own the same object, even if the values of the pointers obtained by get() are different (e.g. because they point at different subobjects within the same object)

This ordering is used to make shared and weak pointers usable as keys in associative containers, typically through std::owner_less.

Parameters

other

-

the std::shared_ptr or std::weak_ptr to be compared

Return value

true if *this precedes other, false otherwise. Common implementations compare the addresses of the control blocks.

Defect reports

The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.

DR	Applied to	Behavior as published	Correct behavior
LWG 2942	C++17	weak_ptr::owner_before isn't noexcept while its shared_ptr counterpart is	made noexcept

Example

Run this code

#include <iostream>
#include <memory>
 
struct Foo {
    int n1;
    int n2; 
    Foo(int a, int b) : n1(a), n2(b) {}
};
int main()
{   
    auto p1 = std::make_shared<Foo>(1, 2);
    std::shared_ptr<int> p2(p1, &p1->n1);
    std::shared_ptr<int> p3(p1, &p1->n2);
 
    std::cout << std::boolalpha
              << "p2 < p3 " << (p2 < p3) << '\n'
              << "p3 < p2 " << (p3 < p2) << '\n'
              << "p2.owner_before(p3) " << p2.owner_before(p3) << '\n'
              << "p3.owner_before(p2) " << p3.owner_before(p2) << '\n';
 
    std::weak_ptr<int> w2(p2);
    std::weak_ptr<int> w3(p3);
    std::cout 
//              << "w2 < w3 " << (w2 < w3) << '\n'  // won't compile 
//              << "w3 < w2 " << (w3 < w2) << '\n'  // won't compile
              << "w2.owner_before(w3) " << w2.owner_before(w3) << '\n'
              << "w3.owner_before(w2) " << w3.owner_before(w2) << '\n';
 
}

Output:

p2 < p3 true
p3 < p2 false
p2.owner_before(p3) false
p3.owner_before(p2) false
w2.owner_before(w3) false
w3.owner_before(w2) false

See also

owner_less (C++11)

provides mixed-type owner-based ordering of shared and weak pointers (class template)