std::shared_ptr<T>::shared_ptr

Constructs new shared_ptr from a variety of pointer types that refer to an object to manage.

When T is not an array type, the overloads (3,4,6) enable shared_from_this with ptr, and the overload (13) enables shared_from_this with the pointer returned by r.release().

[edit] Parameters

[edit] Postconditions

[edit] Exceptions

[edit] Notes

A constructor enables shared_from_this with a pointer ptr of type U* means that it determines if U has an unambiguous and accessible(since C++17) base class that is a specialization of std::enable_shared_from_this, and if so, the constructor evaluates if (ptr != nullptr && ptr->weak_this .expired())
    ptr->weak_this = std::shared_ptr<std::remove_cv_t<U>>
        (*this, const_cast<std::remove_cv_t<U>*>(ptr)); .

The assignment to the weak_this is not atomic and conflicts with any potentially concurrent access to the same object. This ensures that future calls to shared_from_this() would share ownership with the std::shared_ptr created by this raw pointer constructor.

The test ptr->weak_this .expired() in the code above makes sure that weak_this is not reassigned if it already indicates an owner. This test is required as of C++17.

The raw pointer overloads assume ownership of the pointed-to object. Therefore, constructing a shared_ptr using the raw pointer overload for an object that is already managed by a shared_ptr, such as by shared_ptr(ptr.get()) is likely to lead to undefined behavior, even if the object is of a type derived from std::enable_shared_from_this.

Because the default constructor is constexpr, static shared_ptrs are initialized as part of static non-local initialization, before any dynamic non-local initialization begins. This makes it safe to use a shared_ptr in a constructor of any static object.

In C++11 and C++14 it is valid to construct a std::shared_ptr<T> from a std::unique_ptr<T[]>:

std::unique_ptr<int[]> arr(new int[1]);
std::shared_ptr<int> ptr(std::move(arr));

Since the shared_ptr obtains its deleter (a std::default_delete<T[]> object) from the std::unique_ptr, the array will be correctly deallocated.

This is no longer allowed in C++17. Instead the array form std::shared_ptr<T[]> should be used.

[edit] Example

#include <iostream>
#include <memory>
 
struct Foo
{
    int id{0};
    Foo(int i = 0) : id{i} { std::cout << "Foo::Foo(" << i <<  ")\n"; }
    ~Foo() { std::cout << "Foo::~Foo(), id=" << id << '\n'; }
};
 
struct D
{
    void operator()(Foo* p) const
    {
        std::cout << "Call delete from function object. Foo::id=" << p->id << '\n';
        delete p;
    }
};
 
int main()
{
    {
        std::cout << "1) constructor with no managed object\n";
        std::shared_ptr<Foo> sh1;
    }
 
    {
        std::cout << "2) constructor with object\n";
        std::shared_ptr<Foo> sh2(new Foo{10});
        std::cout << "sh2.use_count(): " << sh2.use_count() << '\n';
        std::shared_ptr<Foo> sh3(sh2);
        std::cout << "sh2.use_count(): " << sh2.use_count() << '\n';
        std::cout << "sh3.use_count(): " << sh3.use_count() << '\n';
    }
 
    {
        std::cout << "3) constructor with object and deleter\n";
        std::shared_ptr<Foo> sh4(new Foo{11}, D());
        std::shared_ptr<Foo> sh5(new Foo{12}, [](auto p)
        {
            std::cout << "Call delete from lambda... p->id=" << p->id << '\n';
            delete p;
        });
    }
}

1) constructor with no managed object
2) constructor with object
Foo::Foo(10)
sh2.use_count(): 1
sh2.use_count(): 2
sh3.use_count(): 2
Foo::~Foo(), id=10
3) constructor with object and deleter
Foo::Foo(11)
Foo::Foo(12)
Call delete from lambda... p->id=12
Foo::~Foo(), id=12
Call delete from function object. Foo::id=11
Foo::~Foo(), id=11

[edit] Defect reports

The following behavior-changing defect reports were applied retroactively to previously published C++ standards.

[edit] See also