NAME¶

std::shared_ptr::get - std::shared_ptr::get

Synopsis¶

T* get() const noexcept; (until C++17)
element_type* get() const noexcept; (since C++17)

Returns the stored pointer.

Parameters¶

(none)

Return value¶

The stored pointer.

Notes¶

A shared_ptr may share ownership of an object while storing a pointer to another
object. get() returns the stored pointer, not the managed pointer.

Example¶

// Run this code

#include <iostream>
#include <memory>
#include <string_view>

int main()
{
auto output = [](std::string_view msg, int const* pInt)
{
std::cout << msg << *pInt << " in " << pInt << '\n';
};

int* pInt = new int(42);
std::shared_ptr<int> pShared = std::make_shared<int>(42);

output("Naked pointer: ", pInt);
// output("Shared pointer: ", pShared); // compiler error
output("Shared pointer: ", &*pShared); // OK, calls operator*, then takes addr
output("Shared pointer with get(): ", pShared.get());

delete pInt;

std::cout << "\nThe shared_ptr's aliasing constructor demo.\n";
struct Base1 { int i1{}; };
struct Base2 { int i2{}; };
struct Derived : Base1, Base2 { int i3{}; };

std::shared_ptr<Derived> p(new Derived());
std::shared_ptr<Base2> q(p, static_cast<Base2*>(p.get()));
std::cout << "q shares ownership with p, but points to Base2 subobject:\n"
<< "p.get(): " << p.get() << '\n'
<< "q.get(): " << q.get() << '\n'
<< "&(p->i1): " << &(p->i1) << '\n'
<< "&(p->i2): " << &(p->i2) << '\n'
<< "&(p->i3): " << &(p->i3) << '\n'
<< "&(q->i2): " << &(q->i2) << '\n';
}

Possible output:¶

Naked pointer: 42 in 0xacac20
Shared pointer: 42 in 0xacac50
Shared pointer with get(): 42 in 0xacac50

The shared_ptr's aliasing constructor demo.
q shares ownership with p, but points to Base2 subobject:
p.get(): 0xacac20
q.get(): 0xacac24
&(p->i1): 0xacac20
&(p->i2): 0xacac24
&(p->i3): 0xacac28
&(q->i2): 0xacac24

See also¶

operator* dereferences the stored pointer
operator-> (public member function)