> On Jan 24, 2023, at 5:30 AM, Alicia Boya García via webkit-dev > <webkit-dev@lists.webkit.org> wrote: > > On 12/01/2023 06.21, Ryosuke Niwa via webkit-dev wrote: >> I suggest we stop using raw pointers and references in any local or heap >> stored variable. > I don't think this is feasible for code using non-WebKit libraries, and would > expect it to not apply to such cases. > > For instance, many GLib and GStreamer objects are refcounted, and we even > have smart pointers for them in WebKit: GRefPtr, which refs/unref using RAII, > and GUniquePtr, which frees GLib non-refcounted objects. > > We use both GRefPtr/GUniquePtr and raw pointers, but the meaning of each is > different: > > GRefPtr and GUniquePtr mean the code owns a reference, and will unref/free > when the variable goes out of scope. Raw pointer means the code is borrowing > a reference. The code will do something with the object, then leave it, > without establishing ownership of a reference to it. This is especially the > case for const raw pointers, which you are meant to use within scope and are > not allowed to free() them, as you are just borrowing them. > That’s also the semantics of Ref/RefPtr in WebKit. But we’re expanding the use of Ref/RefPtr to be beyond just owners for memory safety. I don’t see how the situation is any different with GRefPtr/GUniquePtr. If an explicit ownership isn’t appropriate, then CheckedPtr/CheckedRef should be used instead.
- R. Niwa
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