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/*!
\class QPointer
\inmodule QtCore
\brief The QPointer class is a template class that provides guarded pointers to QObject.
\ingroup objectmodel
A guarded pointer, QPointer<T>, behaves like a normal C++
pointer \c{T *}, except that it is automatically cleared when the
referenced object is destroyed (unlike normal C++ pointers, which
become "dangling pointers" in such cases). \c T must be a
subclass of QObject.
Guarded pointers are useful whenever you need to store a pointer
to a QObject that is owned by someone else, and therefore might be
destroyed while you still hold a reference to it. You can safely
test the pointer for validity.
Note that Qt 5 introduces a slight change in behavior when using QPointer.
\list
\li When using QPointer on a QWidget (or a subclass of QWidget), previously
the QPointer would be cleared by the QWidget destructor. Now, the QPointer
is cleared by the QObject destructor (since this is when QWeakPointer objects are
cleared). Any QPointers tracking a widget will \b NOT be cleared before the
QWidget destructor destroys the children for the widget being tracked.
\endlist
Qt also provides QSharedPointer, an implementation of a reference-counted
shared pointer object, which can be used to maintain a collection of
references to an individual pointer.
Example:
\snippet pointer/pointer.cpp 0
\dots
\snippet pointer/pointer.cpp 1
\snippet pointer/pointer.cpp 2
If the QLabel is deleted in the meantime, the \c label variable
will hold \nullptr instead of an invalid address, and the last line will
never be executed.
The functions and operators available with a QPointer are the
same as those available with a normal unguarded pointer, except
the pointer arithmetic operators (\c{+}, \c{-}, \c{++}, and
\c{--}), which are normally used only with arrays of objects.
Use QPointers like normal pointers and you will not need to read
this class documentation.
For creating guarded pointers, you can construct or assign to them
from a T* or from another guarded pointer of the same type. You
can compare them with each other using operator==() and
operator!=(), or test for \nullptr with isNull(). You can dereference
them using either the \c *x or the \c x->member notation.
A guarded pointer will automatically cast to a \c T *, so you can
freely mix guarded and unguarded pointers. This means that if you
have a QPointer<QWidget>, you can pass it to a function that
requires a QWidget *. For this reason, it is of little value to
declare functions to take a QPointer as a parameter; just use
normal pointers. Use a QPointer when you are storing a pointer
over time.
Note that class \c T must inherit QObject, or a compilation or
link error will result.
\sa QSharedPointer, QObject, QObjectCleanupHandler
*/
/*!
\fn template <class T> QPointer<T>::QPointer()
Constructs a guarded pointer with value \nullptr.
\sa isNull()
*/
/*!
\fn template <class T> QPointer<T>::QPointer(T* p)
Constructs a guarded pointer that points to the same object that \a p
points to.
*/
/*!
\fn template <class T> QPointer<T>::~QPointer()
Destroys the guarded pointer. Just like a normal pointer,
destroying a guarded pointer does \e not destroy the object being
pointed to.
*/
/*!
\fn template <class T> void QPointer<T>::swap(QPointer &other)
\since 5.6
Swaps the contents of this QPointer with the contents of \a other.
This operation is very fast and never fails.
*/
/*!
\fn template <class T> QPointer<T> & QPointer<T>::operator=(T* p)
Assignment operator. This guarded pointer will now point to the
same object that \a p points to.
*/
/*!
\fn template <class T> T* QPointer<T>::data() const
\since 4.4
Returns the pointer to the object being guarded.
*/
/*!
\fn template <class T> bool QPointer<T>::isNull() const
Returns \c true if the referenced object has been destroyed or if
there is no referenced object; otherwise returns \c false.
*/
/*!
\fn template <class T> void QPointer<T>::clear()
\since 5.0
Clears this QPointer object.
\sa isNull()
*/
/*!
\fn template <class T> T* QPointer<T>::operator->() const
Overloaded arrow operator; implements pointer semantics. Just use
this operator as you would with a normal C++ pointer.
*/
/*!
\fn template <class T> T& QPointer<T>::operator*() const
Dereference operator; implements pointer semantics. Just use this
operator as you would with a normal C++ pointer.
*/
/*!
\fn template <class T> QPointer<T>::operator T*() const
Cast operator; implements pointer semantics. Because of this
function you can pass a QPointer\<T\> to a function where a T*
is required.
*/
/*!
\fn template <class T> bool operator==(const T *o, const QPointer<T> &p)
\relates QPointer
Equality operator. Returns \c true if \a o and the guarded
pointer \a p are pointing to the same object, otherwise
returns \c false.
*/
/*!
\fn template <class T> bool operator==(const QPointer<T> &p, const T *o)
\relates QPointer
Equality operator. Returns \c true if \a o and the guarded
pointer \a p are pointing to the same object, otherwise
returns \c false.
*/
/*!
\fn template <class T> bool operator==(T *o, const QPointer<T> &p)
\relates QPointer
Equality operator. Returns \c true if \a o and the guarded
pointer \a p are pointing to the same object, otherwise
returns \c false.
*/
/*!
\fn template <class T> bool operator==(const QPointer<T> &p, T *o)
\relates QPointer
Equality operator. Returns \c true if \a o and the guarded
pointer \a p are pointing to the same object, otherwise
returns \c false.
*/
/*!
\fn template <class T> bool operator==(const QPointer<T> &p1, const QPointer<T> &p2)
\relates QPointer
Equality operator. Returns \c true if the guarded pointers \a p1 and \a p2
are pointing to the same object, otherwise
returns \c false.
*/
/*!
\fn template <class T> bool operator!=(const T *o, const QPointer<T> &p)
\relates QPointer
Inequality operator. Returns \c true if \a o and the guarded
pointer \a p are not pointing to the same object, otherwise
returns \c false.
*/
/*!
\fn template <class T> bool operator!=(const QPointer<T> &p, const T *o)
\relates QPointer
Inequality operator. Returns \c true if \a o and the guarded
pointer \a p are not pointing to the same object, otherwise
returns \c false.
*/
/*!
\fn template <class T> bool operator!=(T *o, const QPointer<T> &p)
\relates QPointer
Inequality operator. Returns \c true if \a o and the guarded
pointer \a p are not pointing to the same object, otherwise
returns \c false.
*/
/*!
\fn template <class T> bool operator!=(const QPointer<T> &p, T *o)
\relates QPointer
Inequality operator. Returns \c true if \a o and the guarded
pointer \a p are not pointing to the same object, otherwise
returns \c false.
*/
/*!
\fn template <class T> bool operator!=(const QPointer<T> &p1, const QPointer<T> &p2)
\relates QPointer
Inequality operator. Returns \c true if the guarded pointers \a p1 and
\a p2 are not pointing to the same object, otherwise
returns \c false.
*/
/*!
\fn template <typename T> QPointer<T> qPointerFromVariant(const QVariant &variant)
\internal
Returns a guarded pointer that points to the same object that
\a variant holds.
*/