Re: std::auto_ptr as exception object

From:
=?ISO-8859-1?Q?Marcel_M=FCller?= <news.5.maazl@spamgourmet.org>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++
Date:
Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:25:50 +0200
Message-ID:
<48159822$0$7546$9b4e6d93@newsspool1.arcor-online.net>
Hi!

j.l.olsson@gmail.com wrote:

I am using std::auto_ptr to try to keep ownership of resources
straight. However, I became aware that exception objects must provide
a copy constructor, which made me uncertain of the soundness of
throwing std::auto_ptrs...

It was explained to me that a possible problem case is:

try {
  throw std::auto_ptr<int>(new int(10));
} catch (std::auto_ptr<int> a)
{
  throw;
}

If I understood correctly, the re-throw would use the original
exception object, which has lost ownership.
Is there a way to prevent catching by value?


   } catch (const std::auto_ptr<int>& a)

Is catching by reference kosher?


Yes.

Are there other problems with throwing auto_ptrs?


Besides the fact that it does not make sense? - Not that I know.

The lifetime of an exception object is managed by the compiler. You need
not to bother about that.
In your case
     throw 10;
would do the job too. The same applies to almost any exception class.

Simply do not write throw new..., that's a job for Java programmers. And
I also recommend to receive constant function arguments by reference if
their copy-constructor is more complex than that of a built-in type.
That applies also to exception arguments.

Marcel

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