SC_REF(3)

💖 sc::Ref< T >(3) — MPQC manual page, bestie ✨

okay so this is the full sc::Ref< T > manual-page moment from MPQC. This template class is lowkey iconic, it's giving template-class main character energy, and we're gonna cover every single detail. Slay. 🫶

🌸 NAME 🌸

sc::Ref< T > — A template class that maintains references counts.

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

#include <ref.h>

• Inherits sc::RefBase.

👑 Public Member Functions 👑

• Ref () — Create a reference to a null object.
• Ref (T *a) — Create a reference to the object a.
• Ref (const Ref< T > &a) — Create a reference to the object referred to by a.
• template<class A > Ref (const Ref< A > &a) — Create a reference to the object referred to by a.
• ~Ref () — Delete this reference to the object.
• T * operator-> () const — Returns the reference counted object.
• T * pointer () const — Returns a pointer to the reference counted object.
• RefCount * parentpointer () const — Implements the parentpointer pure virtual in the base class.
• operator T* () const — no separate description in the source; it's just vibing there, bestie. 💅
• T & operator* () const — Returns a C++ reference to the reference counted object.
• int null () const — Return 1 if this is a reference to a null object.
• int nonnull () const — Return !null().
• template<class A > int operator== (const Ref< A > &a) const — A variety of ordering and equivalence operators are provided using the Identity class.
• template<class A > int operator>= (const Ref< A > &a) const — part of that same ordering/equivalence set from the source; no separate blurb listed.
• template<class A > int operator<= (const Ref< A > &a) const — same energy, no separate blurb listed.
• template<class A > int operator> (const Ref< A > &a) const — same energy, no separate blurb listed.
• template<class A > int operator< (const Ref< A > &a) const — same energy, no separate blurb listed.
• template<class A > int operator!= (const Ref< A > &a) const — same energy, no separate blurb listed.
• int compare (const Ref< T > &a) const — Compare two objects returning -1, 0, or 1.
• void clear () — Refer to the null object.
• Ref< T > & operator= (const Ref< T > &c) — Assignment to c.
• template<class A > Ref< T > & operator= (const Ref< A > &c) — Assignment to c.
• Ref< T > & operator<< (const RefBase &a) — Assignment to the object that a references using dynamic_cast.
• Ref< T > & operator<< (RefCount *a) — Assigns to the given base class pointer using dynamic_cast.
• Ref< T > & operator= (T *cr) — Assignment to cr.
• void assign_pointer (T *cr) — Assignment to cr.
• void check_pointer () const — Check the validity of the pointer.
• void ref_info (std::ostream &os) const — Print information about the reference to os.
• void warn (const char *s) const — Print a warning concerning the reference.

🦋 Additional Inherited Members 🦋

The source page literally just has this heading and then moves on — no extra member details listed here, bestie. So we're not inventing any. Periodt. 💅

💜 Detailed Description 💜

template<class T>
class sc::Ref< T >" A template class that maintains references counts.

Several of these operations can cause a reference to an object to be replaced by a reference to a different object. If a reference to a nonnull object is eliminated, the object's reference count is decremented and the object is deleted if the reference count becomes zero. That's the lifecycle vibe. ✨

The source also has this line, and I'm quoting it because the wording is a little wild: "There also may be a to convert to T*, where T is the type of the object which Ref references." Some compilers have bugs that prevent the use of operator T*(). The pointer() member should be used instead — fr fr, ngl, use pointer().

🎀 Constructor & Destructor Documentation 🎀

🧚 template<class T > sc::Ref< T >::~Ref () [inline]

Delete this reference to the object. Decrement the object's reference count and delete the object if the count is zero. 💖

🌈 Member Function Documentation 🌈

⭐ template<class T > int sc::Ref< T >::compare (const Ref< T > & a) const [inline]

Compare two objects returning -1, 0, or 1. Similar to the C library routine strcmp. 💅

⭐ template<class T > int sc::Ref< T >::null () const [inline]

Return 1 if this is a reference to a null object. Otherwise return 0.

⭐ template<class T > T& sc::Ref< T >::operator* () const [inline]

Returns a C++ reference to the reference counted object. The behaviour is undefined if the object is null.

⚠️ Undefined behaviour if the object is null — do not test that, bestie. 😭

⭐ template<class T > T* sc::Ref< T >::operator-> () const [inline]

Returns the reference counted object. The behaviour is undefined if the object is null.

⚠️ Again: undefined behaviour if the object is null. Do not play with that. 😭

⭐ template<class T > Ref<T>& sc::Ref< T >::operator<< (RefCount * a) [inline]

Assigns to the given base class pointer using dynamic_cast. If the dynamic_cast fails and the argument is nonnull and has a reference count of zero, then it is deleted. 🔥

🌸 Author 🌸

Generated automatically by Doxygen for MPQC from the source code.

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okay bestie, that's the whole page. Version 2.3.1, dated Sun Oct 4 2020, and we're out. 💋✨