owner pointers

[Sclytrack]

Assume: no garbage collector
----------------------------

Let us say that we have two types of pointers. Owner pointers and view pointers.

owner(pointer(int))
view(pointer(int))


owner(pointer(int)) routineA()
{
  owner(pointer(int)) a = malloc();

  //The compiler checks that ownership is returned or passed on to
  //another routine. (Possible?)

  return a;
}

--------------------  //Yes 20 long "-"


void doStuffA( view(pointer(int)) param)
{
  //not in charge of the deallocation.
}

void doStuffB( owner(pointer(int)) param)
{
  free(param);
}

void routineB()
{
  owner(pointer(int)) a = malloc();
  doStuffA(a);
  doStuffB(a);  //Passes on ownership.
  //routineB is no longer in charge of the deallocation, because of doStuffB.
}

--------------------

void usingStuff()
{
  owner(pointer(int)) a = routineA();
  //You are in charge of the deallocation.
  free(a);
}

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