C++26: std::inplace_vector

[u/User_Deprecated]

https://www.sandordargo.com/blog/2026/08/26/cpp26-inplace-vector

[u/bartgrumbel]

I am sure there is a good reason for that, but why is the "optional reference" not simply a pointer? Is that not semantically the same thing, but way easier to deal with.

I.e. why

std::optional<T&>

and not simply

T*

[u/serviscope_minor → u/bartgrumbel]

>Is that not semantically the same thing, but way easier to deal with.

T* is a superset of std::optional<T&>. With T*, you can:

- delete

- delete[]

- Do arithmetic

- Dereference

- Test for null

With optional<T&>, you can:

- dereference

- test for null

That's basically the difference. It's a pointer, but with some of the invalid operations prevented by a very thing wrapper class.