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<div class="section">
<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both">
<a name="intrusive.auto_unlink_hooks"></a><a class="link" href="auto_unlink_hooks.html" title="Auto-unlink hooks"> Auto-unlink hooks</a>
</h2></div></div></div>
<div class="toc"><dl>
<dt><span class="section"><a href="auto_unlink_hooks.html#intrusive.auto_unlink_hooks.auto_unlink_hooks_what">
What's an auto-unlink hook?</a></span></dt>
<dt><span class="section"><a href="auto_unlink_hooks.html#intrusive.auto_unlink_hooks.auto_unlink_hooks_example">
Auto-unlink hook example</a></span></dt>
<dt><span class="section"><a href="auto_unlink_hooks.html#intrusive.auto_unlink_hooks.auto_unlink_and_constant_time">
Auto-unlink hooks and containers with constant-time <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">size</span><span class="special">()</span></code></a></span></dt>
</dl></div>
<div class="section">
<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">
<a name="intrusive.auto_unlink_hooks.auto_unlink_hooks_what"></a><a class="link" href="auto_unlink_hooks.html#intrusive.auto_unlink_hooks.auto_unlink_hooks_what" title="What's an auto-unlink hook?">
What's an auto-unlink hook?</a>
</h3></div></div></div>
<p>
<span class="bold"><strong>Boost.Intrusive</strong></span> offers additional hooks
with unique features:
</p>
<div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" type="disc">
<li class="listitem">
When the destructor of the hook is called, the hook checks if the node
is inserted in a container. If so, the hook removes the node from the
container.
</li>
<li class="listitem">
The hook has a member function called <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">unlink</span><span class="special">()</span></code> that can be used to unlink the node
from the container at any time, without having any reference to the container,
if the user wants to do so.
</li>
</ul></div>
<p>
These hooks have exactly the same size overhead as their analog non auto-unlinking
hooks, but they have a restriction: they can only be used with <a class="link" href="presenting_containers.html" title="Presenting Boost.Intrusive containers">non-constant
time containers</a>. There is a reason for this:
</p>
<div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" type="disc">
<li class="listitem">
Auto-unlink hooks don't store any reference to the container where they
are inserted.
</li>
<li class="listitem">
Only containers with non constant-time <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">size</span><span class="special">()</span></code> allow removing an object from the container
without referring to the container.
</li>
</ul></div>
<p>
This auto-unlink feature is useful in certain applications but it must be
used <span class="bold"><strong>very carefully</strong></span>:
</p>
<div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" type="disc">
<li class="listitem">
If several threads are using the same container the destructor of the
auto-unlink hook will be called without any thread synchronization so
removing the object is thread-unsafe.
</li>
<li class="listitem">
Container contents change silently without modifying the container directly.
This can lead to surprising effects.
</li>
</ul></div>
<p>
These auto-unlink hooks have also safe-mode properties:
</p>
<div class="itemizedlist"><ul class="itemizedlist" type="disc">
<li class="listitem">
Hooks' constructors put the hook in a well-known default state.
</li>
<li class="listitem">
Every time an object is inserted in the intrusive container, the container
checks if the hook is in the well-known default state. If not, an assertion
is raised.
</li>
<li class="listitem">
Every time an object is erased from an intrusive container, the container
puts the erased object in the well-known default state.
</li>
</ul></div>
</div>
<div class="section">
<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">
<a name="intrusive.auto_unlink_hooks.auto_unlink_hooks_example"></a><a class="link" href="auto_unlink_hooks.html#intrusive.auto_unlink_hooks.auto_unlink_hooks_example" title="Auto-unlink hook example">
Auto-unlink hook example</a>
</h3></div></div></div>
<p>
Let's see an example of an auto-unlink hook:
</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
</p>
<pre class="programlisting"><span class="preprocessor">#include</span> <span class="special"><</span><span class="identifier">boost</span><span class="special">/</span><span class="identifier">intrusive</span><span class="special">/</span><span class="identifier">list</span><span class="special">.</span><span class="identifier">hpp</span><span class="special">></span>
<span class="preprocessor">#include</span> <span class="special"><</span><span class="identifier">cassert</span><span class="special">></span>
<span class="keyword">using</span> <span class="keyword">namespace</span> <span class="identifier">boost</span><span class="special">::</span><span class="identifier">intrusive</span><span class="special">;</span>
<span class="keyword">typedef</span> <span class="identifier">list_base_hook</span><span class="special"><</span><span class="identifier">link_mode</span><span class="special"><</span><span class="identifier">auto_unlink</span><span class="special">></span> <span class="special">></span> <span class="identifier">auto_unlink_hook</span><span class="special">;</span>
<span class="keyword">class</span> <span class="identifier">MyClass</span> <span class="special">:</span> <span class="keyword">public</span> <span class="identifier">auto_unlink_hook</span>
<span class="comment">//This hook removes the node in the destructor
</span><span class="special">{</span>
<span class="keyword">int</span> <span class="identifier">int_</span><span class="special">;</span>
<span class="keyword">public</span><span class="special">:</span>
<span class="identifier">MyClass</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="keyword">int</span> <span class="identifier">i</span> <span class="special">=</span> <span class="number">0</span><span class="special">)</span> <span class="special">:</span> <span class="identifier">int_</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="identifier">i</span><span class="special">)</span> <span class="special">{}</span>
<span class="keyword">void</span> <span class="identifier">unlink</span><span class="special">()</span> <span class="special">{</span> <span class="identifier">auto_unlink_hook</span><span class="special">::</span><span class="identifier">unlink</span><span class="special">();</span> <span class="special">}</span>
<span class="keyword">bool</span> <span class="identifier">is_linked</span><span class="special">()</span> <span class="special">{</span> <span class="keyword">return</span> <span class="identifier">auto_unlink_hook</span><span class="special">::</span><span class="identifier">is_linked</span><span class="special">();</span> <span class="special">}</span>
<span class="special">};</span>
<span class="comment">//Define a list that will store values using the base hook
</span><span class="comment">//The list can't have constant-time size!
</span><span class="keyword">typedef</span> <span class="identifier">list</span><span class="special"><</span> <span class="identifier">MyClass</span><span class="special">,</span> <span class="identifier">constant_time_size</span><span class="special"><</span><span class="keyword">false</span><span class="special">></span> <span class="special">></span> <span class="identifier">List</span><span class="special">;</span>
<span class="keyword">int</span> <span class="identifier">main</span><span class="special">()</span>
<span class="special">{</span>
<span class="comment">//Create the list
</span> <span class="identifier">List</span> <span class="identifier">l</span><span class="special">;</span>
<span class="special">{</span>
<span class="comment">//Create myclass and check it's linked
</span> <span class="identifier">MyClass</span> <span class="identifier">myclass</span><span class="special">;</span>
<span class="identifier">assert</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="identifier">myclass</span><span class="special">.</span><span class="identifier">is_linked</span><span class="special">()</span> <span class="special">==</span> <span class="keyword">false</span><span class="special">);</span>
<span class="comment">//Insert the object
</span> <span class="identifier">l</span><span class="special">.</span><span class="identifier">push_back</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="identifier">myclass</span><span class="special">);</span>
<span class="comment">//Check that we have inserted the object
</span> <span class="identifier">assert</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="identifier">l</span><span class="special">.</span><span class="identifier">empty</span><span class="special">()</span> <span class="special">==</span> <span class="keyword">false</span><span class="special">);</span>
<span class="identifier">assert</span><span class="special">(&</span><span class="identifier">l</span><span class="special">.</span><span class="identifier">front</span><span class="special">()</span> <span class="special">==</span> <span class="special">&</span><span class="identifier">myclass</span><span class="special">);</span>
<span class="identifier">assert</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="identifier">myclass</span><span class="special">.</span><span class="identifier">is_linked</span><span class="special">()</span> <span class="special">==</span> <span class="keyword">true</span><span class="special">);</span>
<span class="comment">//Now myclass' destructor will unlink it
</span> <span class="comment">//automatically
</span> <span class="special">}</span>
<span class="comment">//Check auto-unlink has been executed
</span> <span class="identifier">assert</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="identifier">l</span><span class="special">.</span><span class="identifier">empty</span><span class="special">()</span> <span class="special">==</span> <span class="keyword">true</span><span class="special">);</span>
<span class="special">{</span>
<span class="comment">//Now test the unlink() function
</span>
<span class="comment">//Create myclass and check it's linked
</span> <span class="identifier">MyClass</span> <span class="identifier">myclass</span><span class="special">;</span>
<span class="identifier">assert</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="identifier">myclass</span><span class="special">.</span><span class="identifier">is_linked</span><span class="special">()</span> <span class="special">==</span> <span class="keyword">false</span><span class="special">);</span>
<span class="comment">//Insert the object
</span> <span class="identifier">l</span><span class="special">.</span><span class="identifier">push_back</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="identifier">myclass</span><span class="special">);</span>
<span class="comment">//Check that we have inserted the object
</span> <span class="identifier">assert</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="identifier">l</span><span class="special">.</span><span class="identifier">empty</span><span class="special">()</span> <span class="special">==</span> <span class="keyword">false</span><span class="special">);</span>
<span class="identifier">assert</span><span class="special">(&</span><span class="identifier">l</span><span class="special">.</span><span class="identifier">front</span><span class="special">()</span> <span class="special">==</span> <span class="special">&</span><span class="identifier">myclass</span><span class="special">);</span>
<span class="identifier">assert</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="identifier">myclass</span><span class="special">.</span><span class="identifier">is_linked</span><span class="special">()</span> <span class="special">==</span> <span class="keyword">true</span><span class="special">);</span>
<span class="comment">//Now unlink the node
</span> <span class="identifier">myclass</span><span class="special">.</span><span class="identifier">unlink</span><span class="special">();</span>
<span class="comment">//Check auto-unlink has been executed
</span> <span class="identifier">assert</span><span class="special">(</span><span class="identifier">l</span><span class="special">.</span><span class="identifier">empty</span><span class="special">()</span> <span class="special">==</span> <span class="keyword">true</span><span class="special">);</span>
<span class="special">}</span>
<span class="keyword">return</span> <span class="number">0</span><span class="special">;</span>
<span class="special">}</span>
</pre>
<p>
</p>
<p>
</p>
</div>
<div class="section">
<div class="titlepage"><div><div><h3 class="title">
<a name="intrusive.auto_unlink_hooks.auto_unlink_and_constant_time"></a><a class="link" href="auto_unlink_hooks.html#intrusive.auto_unlink_hooks.auto_unlink_and_constant_time" title="Auto-unlink hooks and containers with constant-time size()">
Auto-unlink hooks and containers with constant-time <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">size</span><span class="special">()</span></code></a>
</h3></div></div></div>
<p>
As explained, <span class="bold"><strong>Boost.Intrusive</strong></span> auto-unlink
hooks are incompatible with containers that have constant-time <code class="computeroutput"><span class="identifier">size</span><span class="special">()</span></code>,
so if you try to define such container with an auto-unlink hook's value_traits,
you will get a static assertion:
</p>
<p>
</p>
<pre class="programlisting"><span class="preprocessor">#include</span> <span class="special"><</span><span class="identifier">boost</span><span class="special">/</span><span class="identifier">intrusive</span><span class="special">/</span><span class="identifier">list</span><span class="special">.</span><span class="identifier">hpp</span><span class="special">></span>
<span class="keyword">using</span> <span class="identifier">boost</span><span class="special">::</span><span class="identifier">intrusive</span><span class="special">;</span>
<span class="keyword">struct</span> <span class="identifier">MyTag</span><span class="special">;</span>
<span class="keyword">class</span> <span class="identifier">MyClass</span> <span class="special">:</span> <span class="keyword">public</span> <span class="identifier">list_base_hook</span><span class="special"><</span> <span class="identifier">link_mode</span><span class="special"><</span><span class="identifier">auto_unlink</span><span class="special">></span> <span class="special">></span>
<span class="special">{/**/};</span>
<span class="identifier">list</span> <span class="special"><</span><span class="identifier">MyClass</span><span class="special">,</span> <span class="identifier">constant_time_size</span><span class="special"><</span><span class="keyword">true</span><span class="special">></span> <span class="special">></span> <span class="identifier">bad_list</span><span class="special">;</span>
<span class="keyword">int</span> <span class="identifier">main</span><span class="special">()</span>
<span class="special">{</span>
<span class="identifier">bad_list</span> <span class="identifier">list</span><span class="special">;</span>
<span class="keyword">return</span> <span class="number">0</span><span class="special">;</span>
<span class="special">}</span>
</pre>
<p>
leads to an error similar to:
</p>
<pre class="programlisting">error : use of undefined type 'boost::STATIC_ASSERTION_FAILURE<false>'
</pre>
<p>
Pointing to code like this:
</p>
<p>
</p>
<pre class="programlisting"><span class="comment">//Constant-time size is incompatible with auto-unlink hooks!
</span><span class="identifier">BOOST_STATIC_ASSERT</span><span class="special">(!(</span><span class="identifier">constant_time_size</span> <span class="special">&&</span> <span class="special">((</span><span class="keyword">int</span><span class="special">)</span><span class="identifier">value_traits</span><span class="special">::</span><span class="identifier">link_mode</span> <span class="special">==</span> <span class="special">(</span><span class="keyword">int</span><span class="special">)</span><span class="identifier">auto_unlink</span><span class="special">)));</span>
</pre>
<p>
This way, there is no way to compile a program if you try to use auto-unlink
hooks in constant-time size containers.
</p>
</div>
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<td align="right"><div class="copyright-footer">Copyright © 2005 Olaf Krzikalla, 2006-2009 Ion Gaztanaga<p>
Distributed under the Boost Software License, Version 1.0. (See accompanying
file LICENSE_1_0.txt or copy at <a href="http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt" target="_top">http://www.boost.org/LICENSE_1_0.txt</a>)
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