20 Memory management library [mem]

20.3 Smart pointers [smartptr]

20.3.2 Shared-ownership pointers [util.sharedptr]

20.3.2.3 Class template weak_ptr [util.smartptr.weak]

20.3.2.3.1 General [util.smartptr.weak.general]

The weak_ptr class template stores a weak reference to an object that is already managed by a shared_ptr.
To access the object, a weak_ptr can be converted to a shared_ptr using the member function lock.
namespace std { template<class T> class weak_ptr { public: using element_type = remove_extent_t<T>; // [util.smartptr.weak.const], constructors constexpr weak_ptr() noexcept; template<class Y> constexpr weak_ptr(const shared_ptr<Y>& r) noexcept; constexpr weak_ptr(const weak_ptr& r) noexcept; template<class Y> constexpr weak_ptr(const weak_ptr<Y>& r) noexcept; constexpr weak_ptr(weak_ptr&& r) noexcept; template<class Y> constexpr weak_ptr(weak_ptr<Y>&& r) noexcept; // [util.smartptr.weak.dest], destructor constexpr ~weak_ptr(); // [util.smartptr.weak.assign], assignment constexpr weak_ptr& operator=(const weak_ptr& r) noexcept; template<class Y> constexpr weak_ptr& operator=(const weak_ptr<Y>& r) noexcept; template<class Y> constexpr weak_ptr& operator=(const shared_ptr<Y>& r) noexcept; constexpr weak_ptr& operator=(weak_ptr&& r) noexcept; template<class Y> constexpr weak_ptr& operator=(weak_ptr<Y>&& r) noexcept; // [util.smartptr.weak.mod], modifiers constexpr void swap(weak_ptr& r) noexcept; constexpr void reset() noexcept; // [util.smartptr.weak.obs], observers constexpr long use_count() const noexcept; constexpr bool expired() const noexcept; constexpr shared_ptr<T> lock() const noexcept; template<class U> constexpr bool owner_before(const shared_ptr<U>& b) const noexcept; template<class U> constexpr bool owner_before(const weak_ptr<U>& b) const noexcept; size_t owner_hash() const noexcept; template<class U> constexpr bool owner_equal(const shared_ptr<U>& b) const noexcept; template<class U> constexpr bool owner_equal(const weak_ptr<U>& b) const noexcept; }; template<class T> weak_ptr(shared_ptr<T>) -> weak_ptr<T>; }
Specializations of weak_ptr shall be Cpp17CopyConstructible and Cpp17CopyAssignable, allowing their use in standard containers.
The template parameter T of weak_ptr may be an incomplete type.

20.3.2.3.2 Constructors [util.smartptr.weak.const]

constexpr weak_ptr() noexcept;
Effects: Constructs an empty weak_ptr object that stores a null pointer value.
Postconditions: use_count() == 0.
constexpr weak_ptr(const weak_ptr& r) noexcept; template<class Y> constexpr weak_ptr(const weak_ptr<Y>& r) noexcept; template<class Y> constexpr weak_ptr(const shared_ptr<Y>& r) noexcept;
Constraints: For the second and third constructors, Y* is compatible with T*.
Effects: If r is empty, constructs an empty weak_ptr object that stores a null pointer value; otherwise, constructs a weak_ptr object that shares ownership with r and stores a copy of the pointer stored in r.
Postconditions: use_count() == r.use_count().
constexpr weak_ptr(weak_ptr&& r) noexcept; template<class Y> constexpr weak_ptr(weak_ptr<Y>&& r) noexcept;
Constraints: For the second constructor, Y* is compatible with T*.
Effects: Move constructs a weak_ptr instance from r.
Postconditions: *this contains the old value of r.
r is empty, stores a null pointer value, and r.use_count() == 0.

20.3.2.3.3 Destructor [util.smartptr.weak.dest]

constexpr ~weak_ptr();
Effects: Destroys this weak_ptr object but has no effect on the object its stored pointer points to.

20.3.2.3.4 Assignment [util.smartptr.weak.assign]

constexpr weak_ptr& operator=(const weak_ptr& r) noexcept; template<class Y> constexpr weak_ptr& operator=(const weak_ptr<Y>& r) noexcept; template<class Y> constexpr weak_ptr& operator=(const shared_ptr<Y>& r) noexcept;
Effects: Equivalent to weak_ptr(r).swap(*this).
Returns: *this.
Remarks: The implementation may meet the effects (and the implied guarantees) via different means, without creating a temporary object.
constexpr weak_ptr& operator=(weak_ptr&& r) noexcept; template<class Y> constexpr weak_ptr& operator=(weak_ptr<Y>&& r) noexcept;
Effects: Equivalent to weak_ptr(std​::​move(r)).swap(*this).
Returns: *this.

20.3.2.3.5 Modifiers [util.smartptr.weak.mod]

constexpr void swap(weak_ptr& r) noexcept;
Effects: Exchanges the contents of *this and r.
constexpr void reset() noexcept;
Effects: Equivalent to weak_ptr().swap(*this).

20.3.2.3.6 Observers [util.smartptr.weak.obs]

constexpr long use_count() const noexcept;
Returns: 0 if *this is empty; otherwise, the number of shared_ptr instances that share ownership with *this.
constexpr bool expired() const noexcept;
Returns: use_count() == 0.
constexpr shared_ptr<T> lock() const noexcept;
Returns: expired() ? shared_ptr<T>() : shared_ptr<T>(*this), executed atomically.
template<class U> constexpr bool owner_before(const shared_ptr<U>& b) const noexcept; template<class U> constexpr bool owner_before(const weak_ptr<U>& b) const noexcept;
Returns: An unspecified value such that
  • owner_before(b) defines a strict weak ordering as defined in [alg.sorting];
  • !owner_before(b) && !b.owner_before(*this) is true if and only if owner_equal(b) is true.
size_t owner_hash() const noexcept;
Returns: An unspecified value such that, for any object x where owner_equal(x) is true, owner_hash() == x.owner_hash() is true.
template<class U> constexpr bool owner_equal(const shared_ptr<U>& b) const noexcept; template<class U> constexpr bool owner_equal(const weak_ptr<U>& b) const noexcept;
Returns: true if and only if *this and b share ownership or are both empty.
Otherwise returns false.
Remarks: owner_equal is an equivalence relation.

20.3.2.3.7 Specialized algorithms [util.smartptr.weak.spec]

template<class T> constexpr void swap(weak_ptr<T>& a, weak_ptr<T>& b) noexcept;
Effects: Equivalent to a.swap(b).