Are you talking about boot's shared_ptr class? As far as I know, there isn't a smart_ptr class in boot. smart_ptr.hpp is a header that #include's various smart pointer headers, including shared_ptr.hpp.

-Rez

The difference is that one exists and one doesn't. shared_ptr is a smart pointer implementation.

-Rez

My understanding that "smart pointer" was a general title for the section of "pointer wrapping classes", such as boost::shared_ptr, boost::scoped_ptr, and std::auto_ptr. Generally, "smart pointers" use a variety of techniques, though I am not aware of a specific implementation of a smart_ptr class, nor the technique it would use.

Apologies if this is information that you already know.

Smart_ptr was used in the first edition of the book's source code, and was a basic smart pointer class. shared_ptr, from the Boost C++ library, is a better implrmentation of a smart pointer.

Smart pointers have code behind them to destroy objects when nothing is pointing at them anymore - giving a programmer insurance against leaking memory.

Originally posted by mrmike
Smart_ptr was used in the first edition of the book's source code, and was a basic smart pointer class.

Ahhh, that makes sense. Now I see where the confusion is. I really should read the first edition.....

-Rez

Well - let's just say I'm glad I wrote the 2nd Edition and leave it at that!