What are shared pointers in C++?

What are shared pointers in C++?

Shared pointers are smart pointers that manage the lifetime of an object through reference counting.

How do they differ from raw pointers?

Unlike raw pointers, shared pointers automatically delete the object when the last reference is gone, preventing memory leaks.

Can you show me a simple example of using shared pointers?

Sure! Here's a basic example:

#include <iostream>
#include <memory>

int main() {
    std::shared_ptr<int> ptr1 = std::make_shared<int>(10);
    std::shared_ptr<int> ptr2 = ptr1;
    std::cout << *ptr1 << " " << *ptr2 << std::endl;
    return 0;
}

This creates a shared pointer to an integer.

What happens if I try to access a shared pointer after it's deleted?

Accessing a shared pointer after its object has been deleted results in undefined behavior, so it's important to manage their lifetime carefully.