What are weak pointers in programming?

Can you explain what weak pointers are in programming?

Weak pointers are references that do not prevent the referenced object from being deallocated. They are used to avoid memory leaks.

How do weak pointers differ from strong pointers?

Strong pointers maintain ownership of the object, preventing it from being deleted as long as the strong pointer exists. Weak pointers, on the other hand, do not own the object.

When should I use weak pointers?

Use weak pointers when you want to reference an object without affecting its lifetime, such as in observer patterns or caching.

Can you give an example of weak pointers in C++?

Sure! In C++, you can use std::weak_ptr to create a weak pointer that references an object managed by std::shared_ptr.