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std::default_delete

Defined in header <memory> 
template< class T > struct default_delete
 (1) (since C++11) 
template< class T > struct default_delete<T[]>
 (2) (since C++11)

std::default_delete is the default destruction policy used by std::unique_ptr when no deleter is specified.

1) The non-specialized default_delete uses delete to deallocate memory for a single object.

2) A partial specialization for array types that uses delete[] is also provided.

Member functions

(constructor)
 constructs a default_delete object
(public member function)
operator()
 deletes the object or array
(public member function)

std::default_delete::default_delete 

constexpr default_delete() = default;
 (1) 
template <class U>
default_delete( const default_delete<U>& d );
 (2) (member only of generic default_delete template) 
template<class U>
default_delete( const default_delete<U[]>& d);
 (3) (since C++17)
(member only of the array default_delete specialization)
1) Constructs a std::default_delete object.
2) Constructs a std::default_delete object from another std::default_delete object. This constructor will only participate in overload resolution if U* is implicitly convertible to T*.
3) Constructs a std::default_delete<U[]> object from another std::default_delete<U[]> object. This constructor will only participate in overload resolution if U(*)[] is implicitly convertible to T(*)[].

Parameters

d - a deleter to copy from

Exceptions

noexcept specification:
noexcept

Notes

The converting constructor template of std::default_delete makes possible the implicit conversion from std::unique_ptr<Derived> to std::unique_ptr<Base>.

std::default_delete::operator() 

void operator()(T* ptr) const;
 (1) (as of C++17, no longer a member of the default_delete<T[]> template specialization) 
template <class U>
void operator()(U* ptr) const;
 (2) (member only of default_delete<T[]> template specialization, but defined as deleted prior to C++17)
1) Calls delete (primary template) or delete[] (array specialization) on ptr
2) Defined as deleted
(until C++17)
1) Calls delete on ptr
2) Calls delete[] on ptr. This function will only participate in overload resolution if U(*)[] is implicitly convertible to T(*)[].
(since C++17)

In any case, if U is an incomplete type, the program is ill­-formed.

Parameters

ptr - an object or array to delete

Exceptions

No exception guarantees.

Invoking over Incomplete Types

At the point in the code the opertor() is called, the type must be complete. In some implementations a static_assert is used to make sure this is the case. The reason for this requirement is that calling delete on an incomplete type is undefined behavior in C++, as the compiler has no way of knowing whether the type has a destructor that must be invoked.

Example

#include <memory>
#include <vector>
#include <algorithm>
 
int main()
{
//    {
//        std::shared_ptr<int> shared_bad(new int[10]);
//    } // the destructor calls delete, undefined behavior
 
    {
        std::shared_ptr<int> shared_good(new int[10], std::default_delete<int[]>
());
    } // the destructor calls delete[], ok
 
    {
        std::unique_ptr<int> ptr(new int(5));
    } // unique_ptr<int> uses default_delete<int>
 
    {
        std::unique_ptr<int[]> ptr(new int[10]);
    } // unique_ptr<int[]> uses default_delete<int[]>
 
   // default_delete can be used anywhere a delete functor is needed
   std::vector<int*> v;
   for(int n = 0; n < 100; ++n)
      v.push_back(new int(n));
   std::for_each(v.begin(), v.end(), std::default_delete<int>());
}

See also

(C++11)
 smart pointer with unique object ownership semantics
(class template)

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http://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/memory/default_delete