adding helper function to release gsl_vector from object

src/gsl_vector.cpp

@@ -175,6 +175,20 @@ std::size_t GSL_vector::size() const noexcept
    return vec->size;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Releases the encapsulated gsl_vector from this object.  The pointer
+ * to the gsl_vector is returned.  After this method has been called,
+ * this object will no longer delete the the gsl_vector .
+ *
+ * @return pointer to gsl_vector
+ */
+gsl::owner<gsl_vector>* GSL_vector::release() noexcept
+{
+   gsl_vector* raw = vec;
+   vec = nullptr;
+   return raw;
+}
+
 const gsl_vector* GSL_vector::raw() const noexcept
 {
    return vec;

src/gsl_vector.hpp

@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ class GSL_vector {
    bool empty() const noexcept;             ///< check if empty
    const gsl_vector* raw() const noexcept;  ///< get raw pointer
    gsl_vector* raw() noexcept;              ///< get raw pointer
+   gsl::owner<gsl_vector>* release() noexcept; ///< release raw pointer from this object
    void set_all(double) noexcept;           ///< set all elemets to same value
    std::size_t size() const noexcept;       ///< number of elements
 

test/test_gsl_vector.cpp

@@ -361,3 +361,18 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE( test_range_for )
 
    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(sum, 6.);
 }
+
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE( test_release )
+{
+   GSL_vector v(3);
+   v[0] = 1.;
+   v[1] = 2.;
+   v[2] = 3.;
+
+   gsl::owner<gsl_vector>* vp = v.release();
+
+   BOOST_CHECK(v.raw() == nullptr);
+   BOOST_CHECK(vp != nullptr);
+
+   gsl_vector_free(vp);
+}