std::static_pointer_cast, std::dynamic_pointer_cast, std::const_pointer_cast, std::reinterpret_pointer_cast

Defined in header `<memory>`
template< class T, class U > std::shared_ptr<T> static_pointer_cast( const std::shared_ptr<U>& r );	(1)	(since C++11)
template< class T, class U > std::shared_ptr<T> dynamic_pointer_cast( const std::shared_ptr<U>& r );	(2)	(since C++11)
template< class T, class U > std::shared_ptr<T> const_pointer_cast( const std::shared_ptr<U>& r );	(3)	(since C++11)
template< class T, class U > std::shared_ptr<T> reinterpret_pointer_cast( const std::shared_ptr<U>& r );	(4)	(since C++17)

Creates a new instance of std::shared_ptr whose stored pointer is obtained from r's stored pointer using a cast expression. If r is empty, so is the new shared_ptr (but its stored pointer is not necessarily null).

Otherwise, the new shared_ptr will share ownership with r, except that it is empty if the dynamic_cast performed by dynamic_pointer_cast returns a null pointer.

Let Y be typename std::shared_ptr<T>::element_type, then the resulting std::shared_ptr's stored pointer will be obtained by calling (in respective order):

1) static_cast<Y*>(r.get()).

2) dynamic_cast<Y*>(r.get()) (If the result of the dynamic_cast is a null pointer value, the returned shared_ptr will be empty).

3) const_cast<Y*>(r.get()).

4) reinterpret_cast<Y*>(r.get())

The behavior of these functions is undefined unless the corresponding cast from U* to T* is well formed:

1) The behavior is undefined unless static_cast<T*>((U*)nullptr) is well formed.

2) The behavior is undefined unless dynamic_cast<T*>((U*)nullptr) is well formed.

3) The behavior is undefined unless const_cast<T*>((U*)nullptr) is well formed.

4) The behavior is undefined unless reinterpret_cast<T*>((U*)nullptr) is well formed.

Parameters

r

-

The pointer to convert

Exceptions

noexcept specification:

noexcept

Notes

The expressions std::shared_ptr<T>(static_cast<T*>(r.get())), std::shared_ptr<T>(dynamic_cast<T*>(r.get())) and std::shared_ptr<T>(const_cast<T*>(r.get())) might seem to have the same effect, but they all will likely result in undefined behavior, attempting to delete the same object twice!

Possible implementation

First version
template< class T, class U > std::shared_ptr<T> static_pointer_cast( const std::shared_ptr<U>& r ) noexcept { auto p = static_cast<typename std::shared_ptr<T>::element_type*>(r.get()); return std::shared_ptr<T>(r, p); }
Second version
template< class T, class U > std::shared_ptr<T> dynamic_pointer_cast( const std::shared_ptr<U>& r ) noexcept { if (auto p = dynamic_cast<typename std::shared_ptr<T>::element_type*>(r.get())) { return std::shared_ptr<T>(r, p); } else { return std::shared_ptr<T>(); } }
Third version
template< class T, class U > std::shared_ptr<T> const_pointer_cast( const std::shared_ptr<U>& r ) noexcept { auto p = const_cast<typename std::shared_ptr<T>::element_type*>(r.get()); return std::shared_ptr<T>(r, p); }

Example

Run this code

#include <iostream>
#include <memory>
 
struct BaseClass {};
 
struct DerivedClass : BaseClass
{
    void f() const
    {
        std::cout << "Hello World!\n";
    }
    ~DerivedClass(){ // note, it's not virtual
        std::cout << "~DerivedClass\n";
    }
};
 
int main()
{
    std::shared_ptr<BaseClass> ptr_to_base(std::make_shared<DerivedClass>());
 
    // ptr_to_base->f(); // Error won't compile: BaseClass has no member named 'f'
 
    std::static_pointer_cast<DerivedClass>(ptr_to_base)->f(); // OK
    // (constructs a temporary shared_ptr, then calls operator->)
 
    static_cast<DerivedClass*>(ptr_to_base.get())->f(); // also OK
    // (direct cast, does not construct a temporary shared_ptr)
}

Output:

Hello World!
Hello World!
~DerivedClass

Language
Standard library headers
Concepts
Utilities library
Strings library
Containers library
Algorithms library
Iterators library
Numerics library
Input/output library
Localizations library
Regular expressions library (C++11)
Atomic operations library (C++11)
Thread support library (C++11)
Filesystem library (C++17)
Technical Specifications

Type support (basic types, RTTI, type traits)
Dynamic memory management
Error handling
Program utilities
Variadic functions
Date and time
Function objects
initializer_list (C++11)
bitset
hash (C++11)
Relational operators
rel_ops::operator!=rel_ops::operator>rel_ops::operator<=rel_ops::operator>=
`optional`, `any` and `variant` (C++17)
optional
any
variant
in_placein_place_typein_place_indexin_place_tin_place_type_tin_place_index_t
Pairs and tuples
pair
tuple (C++11)
apply (C++17)
make_from_tuple (C++17)
piecewise_construct_t (C++11)
piecewise_construct (C++11)
integer_sequence (C++14)
Swap, forward and move
swap
exchange (C++14)
forward (C++11)
move (C++11)
move_if_noexcept (C++11)
Elementary string conversions
to_chars (C++17)
from_chars (C++17)
chars_format (C++17)
Type operations
declval (C++11)
as_const (C++17)

Member functions
shared_ptr::shared_ptr
shared_ptr::~shared_ptr
shared_ptr::operator=
Modifiers
shared_ptr::reset
shared_ptr::swap
Observers
shared_ptr::get
shared_ptr::operator*shared_ptr::operator->
shared_ptr::operator[] (C++17)
shared_ptr::use_count
shared_ptr::unique (deprecated)
shared_ptr::operator bool
shared_ptr::owner_before
Non-member functions
std::swap
make_shared
allocate_shared
static_pointer_castdynamic_pointer_castconst_pointer_castreinterpret_pointer_cast (C++17)
get_deleter
operator==operator\|=operator<operator<=operator>operator>=
operator<<
atomic_is_lock_freeatomic_loadatomic_load_explicitatomic_storeatomic_store_explicitatomic_exchangeatomic_exchange_explicitatomic_compare_exchange_weakatomic_compare_exchange_strongatomic_compare_exchange_weak_explicitatomic_compare_exchange_strong_explicit
std::hash