Dynamic memory management

Smart pointers

Smart pointers enable automatic, exception-safe, object lifetime management.

Defined in header <memory>
Pointer categories
(C++11)
smart pointer with unique object ownership semantics
(class template)
(C++11)
smart pointer with shared object ownership semantics
(class template)
(C++11)
weak reference to an object managed by std::shared_ptr
(class template)
(removed in C++17)
smart pointer with strict object ownership semantics
(class template)
Helper classes
(C++11)
provides mixed-type owner-based ordering of shared and weak pointers
(class template)
(C++11)
allows an object to create a shared_ptr referring to itself
(class template)
(C++11)
exception thrown when accessing a weak_ptr which refers to already destroyed object
(class)
(C++11)
default deleter for unique_ptr
(class template)

Allocators

Allocators are class templates encapsulating memory allocation strategy. This allows generic containers to decouple memory management from the data itself.

Defined in header <memory>
the default allocator
(class template)
(C++11)
provides information about allocator types
(class template)
(C++11)
tag type used to select allocator-aware constructor overloads
(class)
(C++11)
an object of type std::allocator_arg_t used to select allocator-aware constructors
(constant)
(C++11)
checks if the specified type supports uses-allocator construction
(class template)
(C++20)
prepares the argument list matching the flavor of uses-allocator construction required by the given type
(function template)
(C++20)
creates an object of the given type by means of uses-allocator construction
(function template)
(C++20)
creates an object of the given type at specified memory location by means of uses-allocator construction
(function template)
Defined in header <scoped_allocator>
(C++11)
implements multi-level allocator for multi-level containers
(class template)
Defined in header <memory_resource>
Defined in namespace pmr
(C++17)
an allocator that supports run-time polymorphism based on the std::memory_resource it is constructed with
(class template)

Memory resources

Memory resources implement memory allocation strategies that can be used by std::pmr::polymorphic_allocator.

Defined in header <memory_resource>
Defined in namespace pmr
(C++17)
an abstract interface for classes that encapsulate memory resources
(class)
(C++17)
returns a static program-wide std::pmr::memory_resource that uses the global operator new and operator delete to allocate and deallocate memory
(function)
(C++17)
returns a static std::pmr::memory_resource that performs no allocation
(function)
(C++17)
gets the default std::pmr::memory_resource
(function)
(C++17)
sets the default std::pmr::memory_resource
(function)
(C++17)
a set of constructor options for pool resources
(class)
(C++17)
a thread-safe std::pmr::memory_resource for managing allocations in pools of different block sizes
(class)
(C++17)
a thread-unsafe std::pmr::memory_resource for managing allocations in pools of different block sizes
(class)
(C++17)
a special-purpose std::pmr::memory_resource that releases the allocated memory only when the resource is destroyed
(class)

Uninitialized storage

Several utilities are provided to create and access raw storage.

Defined in header <memory>
copies a range of objects to an uninitialized area of memory
(function template)
(C++11)
copies a number of objects to an uninitialized area of memory
(function template)
copies an object to an uninitialized area of memory, defined by a range
(function template)
copies an object to an uninitialized area of memory, defined by a start and a count
(function template)
(C++17)
moves a range of objects to an uninitialized area of memory
(function template)
(C++17)
moves a number of objects to an uninitialized area of memory
(function template)
(C++17)
constructs objects by default-initialization in an uninitialized area of memory, defined by a range
(function template)
(C++17)
constructs objects by default-initialization in an uninitialized area of memory, defined by a start and a count
(function template)
(C++17)
constructs objects by value-initialization in an uninitialized area of memory, defined by a range
(function template)
(C++17)
constructs objects by value-initialization in an uninitialized area of memory, defined by a start and a count
(function template)
(C++17)
destroys an object at a given address
(function template)
(C++17)
destroys a range of objects
(function template)
(C++17)
destroys a number of objects in a range
(function template)
(deprecated in C++17)(removed in C++20)
an iterator that allows standard algorithms to store results in uninitialized memory
(class template)
(deprecated in C++17)(removed in C++20)
obtains uninitialized storage
(function template)
(deprecated in C++17)(removed in C++20)
frees uninitialized storage
(function template)

Constrained uninitialized memory algorithms (C++20)

C++20 provides constrained uninitialized memory algorithms that accept range arguments or iterator-sentinel pairs.

Defined in header <memory>
Defined in namespace std::ranges
(C++20)
copies a range of objects to an uninitialized area of memory
(niebloid)
(C++20)
copies a number of objects to an uninitialized area of memory
(niebloid)
(C++20)
copies an object to an uninitialized area of memory, defined by a range
(niebloid)
(C++20)
copies an object to an uninitialized area of memory, defined by a start and a count
(niebloid)
(C++20)
moves a range of objects to an uninitialized area of memory
(niebloid)
(C++20)
moves a number of objects to an uninitialized area of memory
(niebloid)
(C++20)
constructs objects by default-initialization in an uninitialized area of memory, defined by a range
(niebloid)
(C++20)
constructs objects by default-initialization in an uninitialized area of memory, defined by a start and count
(niebloid)
(C++20)
constructs objects by value-initialization in an uninitialized area of memory, defined by a range
(niebloid)
(C++20)
constructs objects by value-initialization in an uninitialized area of memory, defined by a start and a count
(niebloid)
(C++20)
destroys an object at a given address
(niebloid)
(C++20)
destroys a range of objects
(niebloid)
(C++20)
destroys a number of objects in a range
(niebloid)

Garbage collector support

Defined in header <memory>
(C++11)
declares that an object can not be recycled
(function)
(C++11)
declares that an object can be recycled
(function template)
(C++11)
declares that a memory area does not contain traceable pointers
(function)
(C++11)
cancels the effect of std::declare_no_pointers
(function)
(C++11)
lists pointer safety models
(enum)
(C++11)
returns the current pointer safety model
(function)

Miscellaneous

Defined in header <memory>
(C++11)
provides information about pointer-like types
(class template)
(C++20)
obtains a raw pointer from a pointer-like type
(function template)
(C++11)
obtains actual address of an object, even if the & operator is overloaded
(function template)
(C++11)
aligns a pointer in a buffer
(function)
(C++20)
informs the compiler that a pointer is aligned
(function template)

C-style memory management

Includes e.g. std::malloc, std::free.

Low level memory management

Includes e.g. operator new , operator delete , std::set_new_handler.

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