Using reference counting for own classes

[GangMan]

Hello!

I'm still new to Crystal Space so I hope this question doesn't look like a total newbie question.
I'm currently implementing a small application with CS and have therefore been confronted with the reference counting mechanisms that are being used (csRef).
I was now wondering if i could use this for my own classes as well. So that I can use csRef<MyClass> foo; instead of MyClass* foo;
I have been working through the manual but all I found out that I would have to implement IncRef() and DecRef() but I'm not sure how since I'm not too familiar with this ref counting implementation.

Could anyone please explain to me what I have to do to make reference counting available with my own classes?

Thank you in advance!

GangMan

[sunshine]

You already answered your own question. As long as your class provides IncRef() and DecRef() methods, you can use it with csRef<>. You will also need to add a variable to your class in which you store the actual count of references, and that variable will be manipulated by IncRef() and DecRef(). DecRef() is slightly special in that it also has the responsibility of destroying the object when the reference count falls to zero. If you don't want to code this up manually, you can inherit from csRefCount, which is a simple base in <csutil/refcount.h>, implementing this behavior on your behalf.

[GangMan]

Subclassing csRefCount is just what I was looking for. I somehow assumed that IncRef() and DecRef() were in/decreasing a counter but I guess I would have forgotten about destroying the object.

Thanks for the quick help!

GangMan

P.S.: I'm not sure but I guess using the reference counting mechanism for self-written classes could be something more people are looking for. Maybe it's worth creating a FAQ or manual entry suggesting the usage of csutil/refcount.h?

[sunshine]

P.S.: I'm not sure but I guess using the reference counting mechanism for self-written classes could be something more people are looking for. Maybe it's worth creating a FAQ or manual entry suggesting the usage of csutil/refcount.h?

The csRefCount utility class is mentioned in the "Correctly Using Smart Pointers" section of the CS manual (presently section 4.4.2) in the first paragraph.

http://www.crystalspace3d.org/docs/online/manual/cs_4.4.2.php#4.4.2

[GangMan]

The csRefCount utility class is mentioned in the "Correctly Using Smart Pointers" section of the CS manual (presently section 4.4.2) in the first paragraph.

I know. Still - for me as a beginner - it wasn't explained good enough, how to handle that functionality exactly. All I knew was that those two methods had to be implemented but not how. And if you don't know anything about how this particular ref-counting system works, its only helpful up to a certain point. Whereas a sentence like "You can include csutil/refcount.h" for a default implementation" might give novices just the hint they were looking for.

GangMan