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gotw GotW #102: Exception-Safe Function Calls (Difficulty: 7/10)

NOTE:

在阅读 Advantages of using std::make_unique over new operator [duplicate] # A 时,其中提及了这篇文章

[This is a C++11-updated version of the original GotW #56.]

JG Questions

1、

In each of the following statements, what can you say about the order of evaluation of the functions f, g, and h and the expressions expr1 and expr2? Assume that expr1 and expr2 do not contain more function calls.

// Example 1(a)
//
f( expr1, expr2 );

// Example 1(b)
//
f( g( expr1 ), h( expr2 ) );

Guru Questions

2、

In your travels through the dusty corners of your company’s code archives, you find the following code fragment:

// Example 2

// In some header file:
void f( T1*, T2* );

// At some call site:
f( new T1, new T2 );

Does this code have any potential exception safety or other problems? Explain.

3、

As you continue to root through the archives, you see that someone must not have liked Example 2 because later versions of the files in question were changed as follows:

// Example 3

// In some header file:
void f( std::unique_ptr<T1>, std::unique_ptr<T2> );

// At some call site:
f( std::unique_ptr<T1>{ new T1 }, std::unique_ptr<T2>{ new T2 } );

What improvements does this version offer over Example 2, if any? Do any exception safety problems remain? Explain.

\4. Demonstrate how to write a make_unique facility that solves the safety problems in Example 3 and can be invoked as follows:

// Example 4

// In some header file:
void f( std::unique_ptr<T1>, std::unique_ptr<T2> );

// At some call site:
f( make_unique<T1>(), make_unique<T2>() );

Solution

1、

NOTE:

1、这一节重要讨论order of evaluation,参见 C++Order-of-evaluation 章节

2、本节的内容是非常好的,它可以作为理解function call expression的order of evaluation的实例

3、通过本节的分析可知:

下面两个expression,虽然能够实现相同的执行效果,但是expression a可能的ordering是比expression b可能的ordering要多得多的,这是因为expression a中额外多了一层 new expression(包括 new T1new T2),这就expression a的order of evaluation相比于expression b多了更多的combination,这其中的一些combination是非exception safe的(interleave),可能导致resource leak的情况,所以最好使用expression b。

a、f( std::unique_ptr<T1>{ new T1 }, std::unique_ptr<T2>{ new T2 } );

b、f( make_unique<T1>(), make_unique<T2>() );

这提示了我们,涉及new的expression应该尽可能的简单,在"Guidelines"章节,作者进行了总结

In each of the following statements, what can you say about the order of evaluation of the functions f, g, and h and the expressions expr1 and expr2? Assume that expr1 and expr2 do not contain more function calls.

The answer hinges on(遵循) the following basic rules:

1、All of a function’s arguments must be fully evaluated before the function is called. This includes the completion of any side effects of expressions used as function arguments.

2、Once the execution of a function begins, no expressions from the calling function may begin or continue to be evaluated until execution of the called function has completed. Function executions never interleave with each other.

NOTE:

1、"Function executions never interleave with each other"是一个非常重要的guarantee

3、Expressions used as function arguments may generally be evaluated in any order, including interleaved, except as otherwise restricted by the other rules.

Some Function Call Exception Safety Problems

2、

In your travels through the dusty corners of your company’s code archives, you find the following code fragment:

// Example 2

// In some header file:
void f( T1*, T2* );

// At some call site:
f( new T1, new T2 );

Does this code have any potential exception safety or other problems? Explain.

Yes, there are several potential exception safety problems.

Brief recap(简明扼要地重述): An expression such as new T1 is called, simply enough, a new-expression. Recall what a new-expression really does (ignoring in-place and array forms for simplicity, because they’re not very relevant here):

1、it allocates memory;

2、it constructs a new object in that memory; and

3、if the construction fails because of an exception the allocated memory is freed.

So each new-expression is essentially a series of two function calls:

1、one call to operator new (either the global one, or one provided by the type of the object being created), and then

2、a call to the constructor.

Guidelines: