// Copyright (c) 2011 The Chromium Authors. All rights reserved. // Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be // found in the LICENSE file. // This class assists you in dealing with a specific situation when managing // ownership between a C++ object and a GTK widget. It is common to have a // C++ object which encapsulates a GtkWidget, and that widget is exposed from // the object for use outside of the class. In this situation, you commonly // want the GtkWidget's lifetime to match its C++ object's lifetime. Using an // OwnedWigetGtk will take ownership over the initial reference of the // GtkWidget, so that it is "owned" by the C++ object. Example usage: // // class FooViewGtk() { // public: // FooViewGtk() { } // ~FooViewGtk() { } // void Init() { vbox_.Own(gtk_vbox_new()); } // GtkWidget* widget() { return vbox_.get() }; // Host my widget! // private: // OwnedWidgetGtk vbox_; // }; // // This design will ensure that the widget stays alive from the call to Own() // until the call to Destroy(). // // - Details of the problem and OwnedWidgetGtk's solution: // In order to make passing ownership more convenient for newly created // widgets, GTK has a concept of a "floating" reference. All GtkObjects (and // thus GtkWidgets) inherit from GInitiallyUnowned. When they are created, the // object starts with a reference count of 1, but has its floating flag set. // When it is put into a container for the first time, that container will // "sink" the floating reference, and the count will still be 1. Now the // container owns the widget, and if we remove the widget from the container, // the widget is destroyed. This style of ownership often causes problems when // you have an object encapsulating the widget. If we just use a raw // GtkObject* with no specific ownership management, we push the widget's // ownership onto the user of the class. Now the C++ object can't depend on // the widget being valid, since it doesn't manage its lifetime. If the widget // was removed from a container, removing its only reference, it would be // destroyed (from the C++ object's perspective) unexpectantly destroyed. The // solution is fairly simple, make sure that the C++ object owns the widget, // and thus it is also responsible for destroying it. This boils down to: // GtkWidget* widget = gtk_widget_new(); // g_object_ref_sink(widget); // Claim the initial floating reference. // ... // gtk_destroy_widget(widget); // Ask all code to destroy their references. // g_object_unref(widget); // Destroy the initial reference we had claimed. #ifndef CHROME_BROWSER_UI_GTK_OWNED_WIDGET_GTK_H_ #define CHROME_BROWSER_UI_GTK_OWNED_WIDGET_GTK_H_ #pragma once #include "base/basictypes.h" typedef struct _GtkWidget GtkWidget; class OwnedWidgetGtk { public: // Create an instance that isn't managing any ownership. OwnedWidgetGtk() : widget_(NULL) { } // Create an instance that owns |widget|. explicit OwnedWidgetGtk(GtkWidget* widget) : widget_(NULL) { Own(widget); } ~OwnedWidgetGtk(); // Return the currently owned widget, or NULL if no widget is owned. GtkWidget* get() const { return widget_; } GtkWidget* operator->() const { return widget_; } // Takes ownership of a widget, by taking the initial floating reference of // the GtkWidget. It is expected that Own() is called right after the widget // has been created, and before any other references to the widget might have // been added. It is valid to never call Own(), in which case Destroy() will // do nothing. If Own() has been called, you must explicitly call Destroy(). void Own(GtkWidget* widget); // You may call Destroy() after you have called Own(). Calling Destroy() // will call gtk_widget_destroy(), and drop our reference to the widget. // Destroy() is also called in this object's destructor. // After a call to Destroy(), you may call Own() again. NOTE: It is expected // that after gtk_widget_destroy we will be holding the only reference left // on the object. We assert this in debug mode to help catch any leaks. void Destroy(); private: GtkWidget* widget_; DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(OwnedWidgetGtk); }; #endif // CHROME_BROWSER_UI_GTK_OWNED_WIDGET_GTK_H_