What is Shared_ptr used for?

A shared_ptr can share ownership of an object while storing a pointer to another object. This feature can be used to point to member objects while owning the object they belong to.

What is the point of unique_ptr?

The purpose of std::unique_ptr is to provide automatic and exception-safe deallocation of dynamically allocated memory (unlike a raw pointer that must be explicitly delete d in order to be freed and that is easy to inadvertently not get freed in the case of interleaved exceptions).

What are std :: unique_ptr and std :: Shared_ptr and how are they used?

Use unique_ptr when only one thing should own the pointer. Use std::shared_ptr if you want multiple things to share ownership. Use weak_ptr to hand out a stub that can get you the pointer, if it hasn’t already been destroyed.

Should I always use Shared_ptr?

It’s generally a good idea to use them, as they not only help prevent memory leaks but also self-document ownership. Use a shared_ptr when you heap-allocate a resource that needs to be shared among multiple objects.

Why should I use Make_unique?

make_unique is safe for creating temporaries, whereas with explicit use of new you have to remember the rule about not using unnamed temporaries. The addition of make_unique finally means we can tell people to ‘never’ use new rather than the previous rule to “’never’ use new except when you make a unique_ptr”.

Should I use Shared_ptr everywhere?

You can’t use shared_ptr everywhere without thinking (in contrast, you can use GC-managed references for everything), because then you’ll be dumbfounded when you inevitable create cyclic references. When you program C++, you have to think about ownership.

Should I use Shared_ptr or Unique_ptr?

In short: Use unique_ptr when you want a single pointer to an object that will be reclaimed when that single pointer is destroyed. Use shared_ptr when you want multiple pointers to the same resource.