What are the best practices for using shared pointers in C++?

What are the best practices for using shared pointers in C++?

When using shared pointers in C++, it's important to avoid circular references, use them for shared ownership, and prefer make_shared for better performance.

Can you explain why circular references are a problem?

Circular references can lead to memory leaks because the reference count never reaches zero, preventing the objects from being deleted.

What is the difference between shared_ptr and unique_ptr?

shared_ptr allows multiple pointers to share ownership of an object, while unique_ptr ensures that only one pointer can own the object at a time.

When should I use weak_ptr?

Use weak_ptr to break circular references and to observe an object managed by shared_ptr without affecting its lifetime.

Are there any performance considerations I should be aware of?

Yes, shared_ptr has overhead due to reference counting, so prefer unique_ptr when you don't need shared ownership for better performance.