How do I call ::std::make_shared on a class with o

Question

I have this code that doesn't work, but I think the intent is clear:

testmakeshared.cpp

#include <memory>

class A {
 public:
   static ::std::shared_ptr<A> create() {
      return ::std::make_shared<A>();
   }

 protected:
   A() {}
   A(const A &) = delete;
   const A &operator =(const A &) = delete;
};

::std::shared_ptr<A> foo()
{
   return A::create();
}

But I get this error when I compile it:

g++ -std=c++0x -march=native -mtune=native -O3 -Wall testmakeshared.cpp
In file included from /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.6.1/../../../../include/c++/4.6.1/bits/shared_ptr.h:52:0,
                 from /usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.6.1/../../../../include/c++/4.6.1/memory:86,
                 from testmakeshared.cpp:1:
testmakeshared.cpp: In constructor ‘std::_Sp_counted_ptr_inplace<_Tp, _Alloc, _Lp>::_Sp_counted_ptr_inplace(_Alloc) [with _Tp = A, _Alloc = std::allocator<A>, __gnu_cxx::_Lock_policy _Lp = (__gnu_cxx::_Lock_policy)2u]’:
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.6.1/../../../../include/c++/4.6.1/bits/shared_ptr_base.h:518:8:   instantiated from ‘std::__shared_count<_Lp>::__shared_count(std::_Sp_make_shared_tag, _Tp*, const _Alloc&, _Args&& ...) [with _Tp = A, _Alloc = std::allocator<A>, _Args = {}, __gnu_cxx::_Lock_policy _Lp = (__gnu_cxx::_Lock_policy)2u]’
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.6.1/../../../../include/c++/4.6.1/bits/shared_ptr_base.h:986:35:   instantiated from ‘std::__shared_ptr<_Tp, _Lp>::__shared_ptr(std::_Sp_make_shared_tag, const _Alloc&, _Args&& ...) [with _Alloc = std::allocator<A>, _Args = {}, _Tp = A, __gnu_cxx::_Lock_policy _Lp = (__gnu_cxx::_Lock_policy)2u]’
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.6.1/../../../../include/c++/4.6.1/bits/shared_ptr.h:313:64:   instantiated from ‘std::shared_ptr<_Tp>::shared_ptr(std::_Sp_make_shared_tag, const _Alloc&, _Args&& ...) [with _Alloc = std::allocator<A>, _Args = {}, _Tp = A]’
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.6.1/../../../../include/c++/4.6.1/bits/shared_ptr.h:531:39:   instantiated from ‘std::shared_ptr<_Tp> std::allocate_shared(const _Alloc&, _Args&& ...) [with _Tp = A, _Alloc = std::allocator<A>, _Args = {}]’
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.6.1/../../../../include/c++/4.6.1/bits/shared_ptr.h:547:42:   instantiated from ‘std::shared_ptr<_Tp1> std::make_shared(_Args&& ...) [with _Tp = A, _Args = {}]’
testmakeshared.cpp:6:40:   instantiated from here
testmakeshared.cpp:10:8: error: ‘A::A()’ is protected
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-redhat-linux/4.6.1/../../../../include/c++/4.6.1/bits/shared_ptr_base.h:400:2: error: within this context

Compilation exited abnormally with code 1 at Tue Nov 15 07:32:58

This message is basically saying that some random method way down in the template instantiation stack from ::std::make_shared can't access the constructor because it's protected.

But I really want to use both ::std::make_shared and prevent anybody from making an object of this class that isn't pointed at by a ::std::shared_ptr. Is there any way to accomplish this?

Answer 1

[Edit] I read through the thread noted above on a standardized std::shared_ptr_access<> proposal. Within there was a response noting a fix to std::allocate_shared<> and an example of its use. I've adapted it to a factory template below, and tested it under gcc C++11/14/17. It works with std::enable_shared_from_this<> as well, so would obviously be preferable to my original solution in this answer. Here it is...

#include <iostream>
#include <memory>

class Factory final {
public:
    template<typename T, typename... A>
    static std::shared_ptr<T> make_shared(A&&... args) {
        return std::allocate_shared<T>(Alloc<T>(), std::forward<A>(args)...);
    }
private:
    template<typename T>
    struct Alloc : std::allocator<T> {
        template<typename U, typename... A>
        void construct(U* ptr, A&&... args) {
            new(ptr) U(std::forward<A>(args)...);
        }
        template<typename U>
        void destroy(U* ptr) {
            ptr->~U();
        }
    };  
};

class X final : public std::enable_shared_from_this<X> {
    friend class Factory;
private:
    X()      { std::cout << "X() addr=" << this << "\n"; }
    X(int i) { std::cout << "X(int) addr=" << this << " i=" << i << "\n"; }
    ~X()     { std::cout << "~X()\n"; }
};

int main() {
    auto p1 = Factory::make_shared<X>(42);
    auto p2 = p1->shared_from_this();
    std::cout << "p1=" << p1 << "\n"
              << "p2=" << p2 << "\n"
              << "count=" << p1.use_count() << "\n";
}

---

[Orig] I found a solution using the shared pointer aliasing constructor. It allows both the ctor and dtor to be private, as well as use of the final specifier.

#include <iostream>
#include <memory>

class Factory final {
public:
    template<typename T, typename... A>
    static std::shared_ptr<T> make_shared(A&&... args) {
        auto ptr = std::make_shared<Type<T>>(std::forward<A>(args)...);
        return std::shared_ptr<T>(ptr, &ptr->type);
    }
private:
    template<typename T>
    struct Type final {
        template<typename... A>
        Type(A&&... args) : type(std::forward<A>(args)...) { std::cout << "Type(...) addr=" << this << "\n"; }
        ~Type() { std::cout << "~Type()\n"; }
        T type;
    };
};

class X final {
    friend struct Factory::Type<X>;  // factory access
private:
    X()      { std::cout << "X() addr=" << this << "\n"; }
    X(int i) { std::cout << "X(...) addr=" << this << " i=" << i << "\n"; }
    ~X()     { std::cout << "~X()\n"; }
};

int main() {
    auto ptr1 = Factory::make_shared<X>();
    auto ptr2 = Factory::make_shared<X>(42);
}

Note that the approach above doesn't play well with std::enable_shared_from_this<> because the initial std::shared_ptr<> is to the wrapper and not the type itself. We can address this with an equivalent class that is compatible with the factory...

#include <iostream>
#include <memory>

template<typename T>
class EnableShared {
    friend class Factory;  // factory access
public:
    std::shared_ptr<T> shared_from_this() { return weak.lock(); }
protected:
    EnableShared() = default;
    virtual ~EnableShared() = default;
    EnableShared<T>& operator=(const EnableShared<T>&) { return *this; }  // no slicing
private:
    std::weak_ptr<T> weak;
};

class Factory final {
public:
    template<typename T, typename... A>
    static std::shared_ptr<T> make_shared(A&&... args) {
        auto ptr = std::make_shared<Type<T>>(std::forward<A>(args)...);
        auto alt = std::shared_ptr<T>(ptr, &ptr->type);
        assign(std::is_base_of<EnableShared<T>, T>(), alt);
        return alt;
    }
private:
    template<typename T>
    struct Type final {
        template<typename... A>
        Type(A&&... args) : type(std::forward<A>(args)...) { std::cout << "Type(...) addr=" << this << "\n"; }
        ~Type() { std::cout << "~Type()\n"; }
        T type;
    };
    template<typename T>
    static void assign(std::true_type, const std::shared_ptr<T>& ptr) {
        ptr->weak = ptr;
    }
    template<typename T>
    static void assign(std::false_type, const std::shared_ptr<T>&) {}
};

class X final : public EnableShared<X> {
    friend struct Factory::Type<X>;  // factory access
private:
    X()      { std::cout << "X() addr=" << this << "\n"; }
    X(int i) { std::cout << "X(...) addr=" << this << " i=" << i << "\n"; }
    ~X()     { std::cout << "~X()\n"; }
};

int main() {
    auto ptr1 = Factory::make_shared<X>();
    auto ptr2 = ptr1->shared_from_this();
    std::cout << "ptr1=" << ptr1.get() << "\nptr2=" << ptr2.get() << "\n";
}

Lastly, somebody said clang complained about Factory::Type being private when used as a friend, so just make it public if that's the case. Exposing it does no harm.

Answer 2

Here's a neat solution for this:

#include <memory>

class A {
   public:
     static shared_ptr<A> Create();

   private:
     A() {}

     struct MakeSharedEnabler;   
 };

struct A::MakeSharedEnabler : public A {
    MakeSharedEnabler() : A() {
    }
};

shared_ptr<A> A::Create() {
    return make_shared<MakeSharedEnabler>();
}

Answer 3

Ideally, I think the perfect solution would require additions to the C++ standard. Andrew Schepler proposes the following:

(Go here for the whole thread)

we can borrow an idea from boost::iterator_core_access. I propose a new class std::shared_ptr_access with no public or protected members, and to specify that for std::make_shared(args...) and std::alloc_shared(a, args...), the expressions ::new(pv) T(forward(args)...) and ptr->~T() must be well-formed in the context of std::shared_ptr_access.

An implementation of std::shared_ptr_access might look like:

namespace std {
    class shared_ptr_access
    {
        template <typename _T, typename ... _Args>
        static _T* __construct(void* __pv, _Args&& ... __args)
        { return ::new(__pv) _T(forward<_Args>(__args)...); }

        template <typename _T>
        static void __destroy(_T* __ptr) { __ptr->~_T(); }

        template <typename _T, typename _A>
        friend class __shared_ptr_storage;
    };
}

Usage

If/when the above is added to the standard, we would simply do:

class A {
public:
   static std::shared_ptr<A> create() {
      return std::make_shared<A>();
   }

 protected:
   friend class std::shared_ptr_access;
   A() {}
   A(const A &) = delete;
   const A &operator =(const A &) = delete;
};

If this also sounds like an important addition to the standard to you, feel free to add your 2 cents to the linked isocpp Google Group.