C++ Smart Pointers

 C++ Smart Pointers

Smart pointers are objects that behave like pointers but provide automatic memory management. They automatically deallocate memory when it is no longer needed, avoiding memory leaks. C++ offers three types of smart pointers: unique_ptr, shared_ptr, and weak_ptr. Here's an example using unique_ptr:

#include <iostream>

#include <memory>

int main() {

    // Creating a unique_ptr

    std::unique_ptr<int> myPtr = std::make_unique<int>(42);

    // Accessing the value

    std::cout << "Value: " << *myPtr << std::endl;

    // Modifying the value

    *myPtr = 100;

    // Releasing the ownership

    myPtr.release();

    return 0;

}

In the above code, we create a unique_ptr named myPtr that points to an int with a value of 42. We access the value using the dereference operator * and modify it. Finally, we release the ownership of the pointer using the release() function.