src/Pointer.h

#ifndef POINTER_H_INCLUDED
#define POINTER_H_INCLUDED

template <class T>
class Pointer{
        public:
                        // construction and destruction
                Pointer (T* Object = NULL);
                Pointer (const Pointer& pointer);
                ~Pointer ();
                // implicit conversions
                operator T* () const{return pobject;}
                T& operator* () const;
                T* operator-> () const;
                // assignment
                Pointer& operator= (T* Object);
                Pointer& operator= (const Pointer& reference);
                // comparisons
                bool operator== (T* pkObject) const;
                bool operator!= (T* pkObject) const;
                bool operator== (const Pointer& rkReference) const;
                bool operator!= (const Pointer& rkReference) const;
                
        protected:
                // the shared object
                T* pobject;
};

//CONSTRUCTORS AND DESTRUCTORS
template <class T> 
Pointer<T>::Pointer (T* object){
        pbject = object;
        if ( pobject )
                pobject->incRef();
}
template <class T> 
Pointer<T>::Pointer (const Pointer& pointer){
        pobject = pointer.pobject;
        if ( pobject )
                pobject->incRef();
}
template <class T> 
Pointer<T>::~Pointer (){
        if ( pobject )
                pobject->decRef();
}

//IMPLICIT CONVERSION
template <class T> 
T& Pointer<T>::operator* () const{
        return *pobject;
}

template <class T> 
T* Pointer<T>::operator-> () const{
        return pobject;
}

//ASSIGNEMENT
template <class T> 
Pointer<T>& Pointer<T>::operator= (T* pkObject){

        if ( pobject != pkObject ){

                if ( pkObject )
                        pkObject->incRef();
                
                if ( pobject )
                        pobject->decRef();
                
                pobject = pkObject;
        }
        return *this;
}

template <class T> 
Pointer<T>& Pointer<T>::operator= (Pointer<T>& reference){

        if ( reference.pobject )
                reference.pobject->incRef();
        
        if ( pobject )
                pobject->decRef();
        
        pobject = reference.pobject;

        return *this;
}

//COMPARISON
template <class T> 
bool operator== (T* pkObject) const;

template <class T> 
bool operator!= (T* pkObject) const;

template <class T> 
bool operator== (const Pointer& rkReference) const;

template <class T> 
bool operator!= (const Pointer& rkReference) const;

#endif