nsTWeakRef.h

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 * Version: MPL 1.1/GPL 2.0/LGPL 2.1
 *
 * The contents of this file are subject to the Mozilla Public License Version
 * 1.1 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with
 * the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at
 * http://www.mozilla.org/MPL/
 *
 * Software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" basis,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License
 * for the specific language governing rights and limitations under the
 * License.
 *
 * The Original Code is Mozilla code.
 *
 * The Initial Developer of the Original Code is Google Inc.
 * Portions created by the Initial Developer are Copyright (C) 2006
 * the Initial Developer. All Rights Reserved.
 *
 * Contributor(s):
 *  Darin Fisher <darin@meer.net>
 *
 * Alternatively, the contents of this file may be used under the terms of
 * either the GNU General Public License Version 2 or later (the "GPL"), or
 * the GNU Lesser General Public License Version 2.1 or later (the "LGPL"),
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 * ***** END LICENSE BLOCK ***** */

#ifndef nsTWeakRef_h__
#define nsTWeakRef_h__

#ifndef nsDebug_h___
#include "nsDebug.h"
#endif

/**
 * A weak reference class for use with generic C++ objects.  NOT THREADSAFE!
 *
 * Example usage:
 *
 *   class A {
 *   public:
 *     A() : mWeakSelf(this) {
 *     }
 *     ~A() {
 *       mWeakSelf.forget();
 *     }
 *     void Bar() { printf("Bar!\n"); }
 *     const nsTWeakRef<A> &AsWeakRef() const { return mWeakSelf; }
 *   private:
 *     nsTWeakRef<A> mWeakSelf;
 *   };
 *
 *   class B {
 *   public:
 *     void SetA(const nsTWeakRef<A> &a) {
 *       mA = a;
 *     }
 *     void Foo() {
 *       if (mA)
 *         mA->Bar();
 *     }
 *   private:
 *     nsTWeakRef<A> mA;
 *   };
 *
 *   void Test() {
 *     B b;
 *     {
 *       A a;
 *       b.SetA(a.AsWeakRef());
 *       b.Foo();  // prints "Bar!"
 *     }
 *     b.Foo();  // prints nothing because |a| has already been destroyed
 *   }
 *
 * One can imagine much more complex examples, especially when asynchronous
 * event processing is involved.
 *
 * Keep in mind that you should only ever need a class like this when you have
 * multiple instances of B, such that it is not possible for A and B to simply
 * have pointers to one another.
 */
template <class Type>
class nsTWeakRef {
public:
  ~nsTWeakRef() {
    if (mRef)
      mRef->Release();
  }

  /**
   * Construct from an object pointer (may be null).
   */
  explicit
  nsTWeakRef(Type *obj = nsnull) {
    if (obj) {
      mRef = new Inner(obj);
    } else {
      mRef = nsnull;
    }
  }

  /**
   * Construct from another weak reference object.
   */
  explicit
  nsTWeakRef(const nsTWeakRef<Type> &other) : mRef(other.mRef) {
    if (mRef)
      mRef->AddRef();
  }

  /**
   * Assign from an object pointer.
   */
  nsTWeakRef<Type> &operator=(Type *obj) {
    if (mRef)  
      mRef->Release();
    if (obj) {
      mRef = new Inner(obj);
    } else {
      mRef = nsnull;
    }
    return *this;
  }

  /**
   * Assign from another weak reference object.
   */ 
  nsTWeakRef<Type> &operator=(const nsTWeakRef<Type> &other) {
    if (mRef)  
      mRef->Release();
    mRef = other.mRef;
    if (mRef)
      mRef->AddRef();
    return *this;
  }

  /**
   * Get the referenced object.  This method may return null if the reference
   * has been cleared or if an out-of-memory error occurred at assignment.
   */
  Type *get() const {
    return mRef ? mRef->mObj : nsnull;
  }

  /**
   * Called to "null out" the weak reference.  Typically, the object referenced
   * by this weak reference calls this method when it is being destroyed.
   * @returns The former referenced object.
   */
  Type *forget() {
    Type *obj;
    if (mRef) {
      obj = mRef->mObj;
      mRef->mObj = nsnull;
      mRef->Release();
      mRef = nsnull;
    } else {
      obj = nsnull;
    }
    return obj;
  }

  /**
   * Allow |*this| to be treated as a |Type*| for convenience.
   */
  operator Type *() const {
    return get();
  }

  /**
   * Allow |*this| to be treated as a |Type*| for convenience.  Use with
   * caution since this method will crash if the referenced object is null.
   */
  Type *operator->() const {
    NS_ASSERTION(mRef && mRef->mObj,
        "You can't dereference a null weak reference with operator->().");
    return get();
  }

private:

  struct Inner {
    int     mCnt;
    Type   *mObj;

    Inner(Type *obj) : mCnt(1), mObj(obj) {}
    void AddRef() { ++mCnt; }
    void Release() { if (--mCnt == 0) delete this; }
  };

  Inner *mRef;
};

#endif  // nsTWeakRef_h__