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# sc::Ref Class Template Reference

A template class that maintains references counts. More...

`#include <ref.h>`

Inheritance diagram for sc::Ref:

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Collaboration diagram for sc::Ref:

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List of all members.

## Public Methods
| Ref ()
| Create a reference to a null object.
| Ref (T *a)
| Create a reference to the object a.
| Ref (const Ref< T > &a)
| Create a reference to the object referred to by a.
template<class A> | Ref (const Ref< A > &a)
| Create a reference to the object referred to by a.
| ~Ref ()
| Delete this reference to the object. More...
T * | operator-> () const
| Returns the reference counted object. More...
T * | pointer () const
| Returns a pointer the reference counted object.
RefCount * | parentpointer () const
| Implements the parentpointer pure virtual in the base class.
| operator T * () const
T & | operator * () const
| Returns a C++ reference to the reference counted object. More...
int | null () const
| Return 1 if this is a reference to a null object. More...
int | nonnull () const
| Return !null().
template<class A> int | operator== (const Ref< A > &a) const
| A variety of ordering and equivalence operators are provided using the Identity class.
template<class A> int | operator>= (const Ref< A > &a) const
template<class A> int | operator<= (const Ref< A > &a) const
template<class A> int | operator> (const Ref< A > &a) const
template<class A> int | operator< (const Ref< A > &a) const
template<class A> int | operator!= (const Ref< A > &a) const
int | compare (const Ref< T > &a) const
| Compare two objects returning -1, 0, or 1. More...
void | clear ()
| Refer to the null object.
Ref< T > & | operator= (const Ref< T > &c)
| Assignment to c.
template<class A> Ref< T > & | operator= (const Ref< A > &c)
| Assignment to c.
Ref< T > & | operator<< (const RefBase &a)
| Assignment to the object that a references using dynamic_cast.
Ref< T > & | operator<< (RefCount *a)
| Assigns to the given base class pointer using dynamic_cast. More...
Ref< T > & | operator= (T *cr)
| Assignment to cr.
void | assign_pointer (T *cr)
| Assignment to cr.
void | check_pointer () const
| Check the validity of the pointer.
void | ref_info (std::ostream &os) const
| Print information about the reference to os.
void | warn (const char *s) const
| Print a warning concerning the reference.

## Detailed Description

### template<class T>
class sc::Ref< T >

A template class that maintains references counts.

Several of these operations can cause a reference to an object to be replaced by a reference to a different object. If a reference to a nonnull object is eliminated, the object's reference count is decremented and the object is deleted if the reference count becomes zero.

There also may be a to convert to T*, where T is the type of the object which Ref references. Some compilers have bugs that prevent the use of operator T *(). The pointer() member should be used instead.

## Constructor & Destructor Documentation

template<class T>
sc::Ref< T >::~Ref | ( |  | ) | `[inline]`

| Delete this reference to the object. Decrement the object's reference count and delete the object if the count is zero.

## Member Function Documentation

template<class T>
int sc::Ref< T >::compare | ( | const Ref< T > & | a | ) | const`[inline]`

| Compare two objects returning -1, 0, or 1. Similar to the C library routine strcmp.

template<class T>
int sc::Ref< T >::null | ( |  | ) | const`[inline]`

| Return 1 if this is a reference to a null object. Otherwise return 0.

template<class T>
T& sc::Ref< T >::operator * | ( |  | ) | const`[inline]`

| Returns a C++ reference to the reference counted object. The behaviour is undefined if the object is null.

template<class T>
T* sc::Ref< T >::operator-> | ( |  | ) | const`[inline]`

| Returns the reference counted object. The behaviour is undefined if the object is null.

template<class T>
Ref<T>& sc::Ref< T >::operator<< | ( | RefCount * | a | ) | `[inline]`

| Assigns to the given base class pointer using dynamic_cast. If the dynamic_cast fails and the argument is nonnull and has a reference count of zero, then it is deleted.

The documentation for this class was generated from the following file:

- ref.h