reference semantic for pimpl class

[monarch_dodra]

I have a basic class with a pimpl, with agressive instantiation:

class MyClassImpl;

class MyClass
{
public:
  MyClass() : pImpl(new MyClassImpl) {}
  ~MyClass(){delete pImpl;}

private:
  MyClass(const MyClass&) = delete;
  MyClass& operator=(const MyClass&) = delete;

  MyClassImpl* pImpl;
};

Classic/Standard. However, I do hate having to use pointer semantics for all of my operations. So I thought: If I never ever manipulate the actual pointer itself, why not just keep a reference?

class MyClassImpl;

class MyClass
{
public:
  MyClass() : impl(*new MyClassImpl) {}
  ~MyClass(){delete &impl;}

private:
  MyClassImpl& impl;
};

Everything seems legit to me...

The only downside that I see, is that I can't swap or move, but this particular object is not meant to be swapped or moved.

Did I miss anything here, or can I go ahead and do this.

[JohnW@Wessex]

You wouldn't be able to store it in a container either.

[superbonzo]

BTW, probably it was just for brevity, but the code snippet is wrong because you're new-ing an incomplete type ( this is an error ) and you're deleting an incomplete type ( this is UB, in general ).

as far as the reference is concerned, the only problem I see is in the event of "new" returning 0; anyway, nothing really serious ...

[laserlight]

as far as the reference is concerned, the only problem I see is in the event of "new" returning 0; anyway, nothing really serious ...

Doesn't sound like a problem though since nothrow new was not used.

[monarch_dodra]

BTW, probably it was just for brevity, but the code snippet is wrong because you're new-ing an incomplete type ( this is an error ) and you're deleting an incomplete type ( this is UB, in general ).

Yeah, you caught that. It was for brevity. The code is actually in a cpp.

as far as the reference is concerned, the only problem I see is in the event of "new" returning 0; anyway, nothing really serious ...

Doesn't sound like a problem though since nothrow new was not used.

Yup.

Thanks for your feedbacks.