Re: Removing the assignable requirement from stl list elements

From:
"Kevin Lin" <kevin.ic@gmail.com>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++.moderated
Date:
7 Oct 2006 19:23:55 -0400
Message-ID:
<1160260882.687777.156000@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups.com>
Carl Barron wrote:

Kevin Lin <kevin.ic@gmail.com> wrote:

I've been studying implementations of linked lists in sgi-stl and
updated versions in stlport, hoping to adapt one for my own needs. One
thing that caught my eye in the sgi implementation is the availability
of additional push_back and insert signatures in both list and slist:

void push_back();
void insert(iterator i);

To me this seems like a very reasonable extension that should allow:

typedef std::list< std::auto_ptr<int> > list_type;
list_type mylist;
list_type::iterator ptrIter = mylist.insert(mylist.begin());
ptrIter->reset(new int());
[...]


  There are better and safer alternatives to using auto_ptr or even raw
ptrs in list. boost::shared_ptr and boost::intrusive_ptr if applicable
come to mind. TR1::shared_ptr as well.

    what about
    inline bool is_even(std::auto_ptr<int> x) {return !( *x & 1);}

    list_type listing;
    // fill it with the extension
    iisting.remove_if(is_even);

    All your even data is removed AND all the odd data is replaced by
auto_ptr<int>()!! essentially removed...Neat:(:(
[...]


The above case seems unrelated to the fact that the auto_ptrs are
inside a list. In other words:

std::auto_ptr<int> ptr(new int(4));
if(is_even(ptr))
{
    int i = *ptr;
}

would fail in the same manner. The bug, of course, is that is_even
should be taking auto_ptr by const ref. While I agree that shared_ptr
is much safer and should be used when possible, I think we're being
sidetracked by a discussion on the merits of different smart pointers.

The reason I find the extension attractive is simply that allowing a
list of uncopyable objects seems useful. Leaving aside auto_ptr, a
better example might be:

struct nocopy : private boost::noncopyable {}; //no copy constructor

std::list<nocopy> mylist;
//fill
mylist.push_back();

Right now I don't see any compelling reason why such a creature
shouldn't be allowed.

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