Generic handles

4/18/99


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Table of Contents

Generic handles

A cautionary note

The problem

Do better? How?

Our first try (lecture 11)

Using the first try

Memory management woes

The second version
(lecture 13)

PPT Slide

Outline of class hierarchy

This approach is easier to use

However, there are still disadvantages

The source of the problems

A new strategy

The data structure

Let's think about it generically

What properties should it have?

These handles act a lot like pointers

operator-> explained

We can already start coding

We will want to cater to null handles

The default constructor

Other constructors

Constructor definitions

Destructor

Assignment

The * and -> operators

How do we use it?

Interactions with inheritance

Handles as data elements

What do these handles do for us?

Advantages of use counting

What don't they do for us?

Homework (due Monday)

Author: Andrew Koenig

Email: ark@research.att.com

Home Page: http://www.research.att.com/info/ark