Can you post live_ptr.hpp so that I can run the test and play with it a bit?
#ifndef LIVE_PTR_INCLUDED #define LIVE_PTR_INCLUDED #include <boost/assert.hpp> template<class T> class live_ptr; /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // Class live_ptr_target template<class T> class live_ptr_target { friend live_ptr<T>; public: live_ptr_target(); live_ptr_target(const live_ptr_target<T> &); ~live_ptr_target(); live_ptr_target<T> &operator =(const live_ptr_target<T> &); private: mutable live_ptr<T> *_list; }; /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // Class live_ptr template<class T> class live_ptr { friend live_ptr_target<T>; public: live_ptr(); live_ptr(T *); live_ptr(const live_ptr<T> &); ~live_ptr(); live_ptr<T> &operator =(T *); live_ptr<T> &operator =(const live_ptr<T> &); T *operator ->() const; T &operator *() const; T *get() const; private: T *_ptr; mutable live_ptr<T> *_prev, *_next; }; // Implementation (originally in a separate file) /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // Class live_ptr_target template<class T> live_ptr_target<T>::live_ptr_target(): _list(0) { } template<class T> live_ptr_target<T>::live_ptr_target(const live_ptr_target<T> &): _list(0) { } template<class T> live_ptr_target<T>::~live_ptr_target() { while (_list) { _list->_ptr = 0; _list = _list->_next; } } template<class T> live_ptr_target<T> &live_ptr_target<T>::operator =(const live_ptr_target<T> &) { return *this; } /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // Class live_ptr template<class T> live_ptr<T>::live_ptr(): _ptr(0) { } template<class T> live_ptr<T>::live_ptr(T *ptr): _ptr(ptr) { if (_ptr) { live_ptr_target<T> *target = _ptr; if (target->_list) target->_list->_prev = this; _prev = 0; _next = target->_list; target->_list = this; } } template<class T> live_ptr<T>::live_ptr(const live_ptr<T> &ptr): _ptr(ptr.get()) { if (_ptr) { live_ptr_target<T> *target = _ptr; if (target->_list) target->_list->_prev = this; _prev = 0; _next = target->_list; target->_list = this; } } template<class T> live_ptr<T>::~live_ptr() { if (_ptr) { if (_prev) _prev->_next = _next; else { live_ptr_target<T> *target = _ptr; target->_list = _next; } if (_next) _next->_prev = _prev; } } template<class T> live_ptr<T> &live_ptr<T>::operator =(T *ptr) { if (_ptr == ptr) return *this; if (_ptr) { if (_prev) _prev->_next = _next; else { live_ptr_target<T> *target = _ptr; target->_list = _next; } if (_next) _next->_prev = _prev; } _ptr = ptr; if (_ptr) { live_ptr_target<T> *target = _ptr; if (target->_list) target->_list->_prev = this; _prev = 0; _next = target->_list; target->_list = this; } return *this; } template<class T> live_ptr<T> &live_ptr<T>::operator =(const live_ptr<T> &ptr) { return operator =(ptr.get()); } template<class T> T *live_ptr<T>::operator ->() const { BOOST_ASSERT(_ptr); return _ptr; } template<class T> T &live_ptr<T>::operator *() const { BOOST_ASSERT(_ptr); return *_ptr; } template<class T> T *live_ptr<T>::get() const { return _ptr; } #endif