unique pointer issue

Hello everyone,


Could anyone help to explain what does the two rules for unique pointer mean?


http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...94(VS.85).aspx

1.

Especially confused about "before the call"

Can use existing memory on the client without allocating new memory. When a unique pointer changes during a call from one non-NULL value to another, the pointer is assumed to point to a data object of the same type. Data returned from the server is written into existing storage specified by the value of the unique pointer before the call.

2.

Can orphan memory on the client. Memory referenced by a non-NULL unique pointer may never be freed if the unique pointer changes to NULL during a call and the client does not have another means of dereferencing the storage.


thanks in advance,
George

The key point is this:

Quote:

---

Does not cause aliasing. Like storage pointed to by a reference pointer, storage pointed to by a unique pointer cannot be reached from any other name in the function.

---

This is a help to the compiler and the coder that there is no risk of dealing with this pointer in the sense that it should never point to the same data as anything else in that function.

Your two points says that these two operations are not forbidden by the unique attribute:
Point 1:

Code:

---

char [unique] *ptr;
char array[] = "Hello";

ptr = array;
...
ptr = NULL;
...
ptr = new char [30];
...

---

Point 2:

Code:

---

ptr = new char [30];
... // no "delete ptr" here
ptr = NULL;

---

Point 2 obviously means a memory leak (orphaned memory), but it's still valid use of a unique pointer.

It is NOT valid to do this:

Code:

---

char [unique] *ptr1;
char [unique] *ptr2;

char array[] = "Hello";

ptr1 = array;
ptr2 = ptr1;

---

ptr2 has the same value as ptr1 which means that the pointer is not unique.

--
Mats

Thanks Mats,


Sorry for my limited knowledge. I tried to compile the code,

Code:

---

int main()
{
        char [unique] *ptr1;
        char [unique] *ptr2;
        char array[] = "Hello";

        ptr1 = array;
        ptr2 = ptr1;

        return 0;
}

---

Seems compiler does not recognize the unique attribute? I am using Visual Studio 2008.

But from MSDN, seems we do not need to include additional headers?

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa367294.aspx

Here is the error message,

1>Compiling...
1>main.cpp
1>d:\visual studio 2008\projects\test_uniquepointer1\test_uniquepoint er1\main.cpp(3) : warning C4091: '' : ignored on left of 'char' when no variable is declared
1>d:\visual studio 2008\projects\test_uniquepointer1\test_uniquepoint er1\main.cpp(3) : error C2143: syntax error : missing ';' before '['
1>d:\visual studio 2008\projects\test_uniquepointer1\test_uniquepoint er1\main.cpp(3) : error C2143: syntax error : missing ';' before '*'
1>d:\visual studio 2008\projects\test_uniquepointer1\test_uniquepoint er1\main.cpp(3) : error C3094: 'unique': anonymous usage not allowed
1> d:\visual studio 2008\projects\test_uniquepointer1\test_uniquepoint er1\predefined c++ attributes (compiler internal)(1155) : see declaration of 'unique'
1> attribute can only be applied to: 'member', 'interface member function', 'formal argument of interface member function', 'typedef'
1>d:\visual studio 2008\projects\test_uniquepointer1\test_uniquepoint er1\main.cpp(3) : error C2065: 'ptr1' : undeclared identifier
1>d:\visual studio 2008\projects\test_uniquepointer1\test_uniquepoint er1\main.cpp(4) : warning C4091: '' : ignored on left of 'char' when no variable is declared
1>d:\visual studio 2008\projects\test_uniquepointer1\test_uniquepoint er1\main.cpp(4) : error C2143: syntax error : missing ';' before '['
1>d:\visual studio 2008\projects\test_uniquepointer1\test_uniquepoint er1\main.cpp(4) : error C2143: syntax error : missing ';' before '*'
1>d:\visual studio 2008\projects\test_uniquepointer1\test_uniquepoint er1\main.cpp(4) : error C3094: 'unique': anonymous usage not allowed
1> d:\visual studio 2008\projects\test_uniquepointer1\test_uniquepoint er1\predefined c++ attributes (compiler internal)(1155) : see declaration of 'unique'
1> attribute can only be applied to: 'member', 'interface member function', 'formal argument of interface member function', 'typedef'
1>d:\visual studio 2008\projects\test_uniquepointer1\test_uniquepoint er1\main.cpp(4) : error C2065: 'ptr2' : undeclared identifier
1>d:\visual studio 2008\projects\test_uniquepointer1\test_uniquepoint er1\main.cpp(7) : error C2065: 'ptr1' : undeclared identifier
1>d:\visual studio 2008\projects\test_uniquepointer1\test_uniquepoint er1\main.cpp(8) : error C2065: 'ptr2' : undeclared identifier
1>d:\visual studio 2008\projects\test_uniquepointer1\test_uniquepoint er1\main.cpp(8) : error C2065: 'ptr1' : undeclared identifier

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by matsp

The key point is this:


This is a help to the compiler and the coder that there is no risk of dealing with this pointer in the sense that it should never point to the same data as anything else in that function.

Your two points says that these two operations are not forbidden by the unique attribute:
Point 1:

Code:

---

char [unique] *ptr;
char array[] = "Hello";

ptr = array;
...
ptr = NULL;
...
ptr = new char [30];
...

---

Point 2:

Code:

---

ptr = new char [30];
... // no "delete ptr" here
ptr = NULL;

---

Point 2 obviously means a memory leak (orphaned memory), but it's still valid use of a unique pointer.

It is NOT valid to do this:

Code:

---

char [unique] *ptr1;
char [unique] *ptr2;

char array[] = "Hello";

ptr1 = array;
ptr2 = ptr1;

---

ptr2 has the same value as ptr1 which means that the pointer is not unique.

--
Mats

---

regards,
George

Erm, yes, I think you need to use the MIDL compiler for those things, and you'll get C/C++ headers from it.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...64(VS.85).aspx

Note that I've never used MIDL.

--
Mats

Hi Mats,


About the code you write before,

Code:

---

ptr = new char [30];
... // no "delete ptr" here
ptr = NULL;

---

This is what you mentioned,

--------------------
Point 2 obviously means a memory leak (orphaned memory), but it's still valid use of a unique pointer.
--------------------

In this situation, there is no chance to free the memory buffer pointed by ptr before, right? I am not sure why unique pointer allows this behavior, since I do not think it is good code -- at least it will cause memory leak.

Do you think it is good code or why do you think unique pointer allows this feature?


regards,
George

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by matsp

Erm, yes, I think you need to use the MIDL compiler for those things, and you'll get C/C++ headers from it.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...64(VS.85).aspx

Note that I've never used MIDL.

--
Mats

---

I "think" it's allowed because MS says it's allowed - and NO, I don't think it's a good thing, but it's mentioned in the specification so that it's clear that the tag "unique" doesn't guarantee that the memory pointed to by the pointer will be freed - it's not a smart pointer.

--
Mats

Great Mats!


I think we have completed the discussion of the 2nd point of my question. How about your comments about the 1st point? :-)

--------------------
1.

Especially confused about "before the call"

Can use existing memory on the client without allocating new memory. When a unique pointer changes during a call from one non-NULL value to another, the pointer is assumed to point to a data object of the same type. Data returned from the server is written into existing storage specified by the value of the unique pointer before the call.
--------------------

I do not know why "Data returned from the server is written into existing storage specified by the value of the unique pointer before the call", especially "the value of the unique pointer before the call".

Suppose the following scenario,

1. client pass point ptr1 to server and ptr2 originally pointed to memory buffer1;
2. server change ptr1 to pointed to memory buffer2, which is different from buffer1;
3. server writes data through pointer ptr1, it should be written to buffer2.

So, it should be,

Data returned from the server is written into existing storage specified by the "lastest" value of the unique pointer, which is memory buffer 2.

Other than,

Data returned from the server is written into existing storage specified by the value of the unique pointer "before" the call, which is memory buffer 1.

Any comments?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by matsp

I "think" it's allowed because MS says it's allowed - and NO, I don't think it's a good thing, but it's mentioned in the specification so that it's clear that the tag "unique" doesn't guarantee that the memory pointed to by the pointer will be freed - it's not a smart pointer.

--
Mats

---

regards,
George

Sorry, I don't know.

--
Mats

Thanks Mats,


I think you agree with me on post #7 and do not agree with the words on MSDN. :-)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by matsp

Sorry, I don't know.

--
Mats

---

regards,
George

I'm not agreeing with either - I'm saying that I don't know - which means that I can't say if one or the other is right or wrong or both are right/wrong but just different ways to express the same thing, for example.

--
Mats

Ophan memory is basically memory that you allocated, did not free, and discarded or overwrote the pointer to and so your program cannot free it or even know that it exists. This is the primary cause of memory leaks. It is a fairly common novice bug, but it can also happen in highly complex memory management models. A similar problem is a ghost pointer, where you free'd the memory, but forgot to NULL the pointer, adn so you have a pointer that was valid and now points to an invalid memory location. There are two things this can do. Bad - you use the pointer and it causes a protection fault, crashing your program. Worse, some other thread allocates a block of memory that makes the bad pointer valid again, and you get memory corruption but the program runs 'normally' and you have a bug that is extremely difficult to track down.

Great abachler!


Any comments to my post #7? :-)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by abachler

Ophan memory is basically memory that you allocated, did not free, and discarded or overwrote the pointer to and so your program cannot free it or even know that it exists. This is the primary cause of memory leaks. It is a fairly common novice bug, but it can also happen in highly complex memory management models. A similar problem is a ghost pointer, where you free'd the memory, but forgot to NULL the pointer, adn so you have a pointer that was valid and now points to an invalid memory location. There are two things this can do. Bad - you use the pointer and it causes a protection fault, crashing your program. Worse, some other thread allocates a block of memory that makes the bad pointer valid again, and you get memory corruption but the program runs 'normally' and you have a bug that is extremely difficult to track down.

---

regards,
George