# 1.4.0[−][src]Struct alloc::rc::Weak

    pub struct Weak<T: ?Sized> { /* fields omitted */ }

`Weak` is a version of `Rc` that holds a non-owning reference to the managed allocation. The allocation is accessed by calling `upgrade` on the `Weak` pointer, which returns an `Option``<``Rc``<T>>`.

Since a `Weak` reference does not count towards ownership, it will not prevent the value stored in the allocation from being dropped, and `Weak` itself makes no guarantees about the value still being present. Thus it may return `None` when `upgrade`d. Note however that a `Weak` reference does prevent the allocation itself (the backing store) from being deallocated.

A `Weak` pointer is useful for keeping a temporary reference to the allocation managed by `Rc` without preventing its inner value from being dropped. It is also used to prevent circular references between `Rc` pointers, since mutual owning references would never allow either `Rc` to be dropped. For example, a tree could have strong `Rc` pointers from parent nodes to children, and `Weak` pointers from children back to their parents.

The typical way to obtain a `Weak` pointer is to call `Rc::downgrade`.

## Implementations

### `impl<T> Weak<T>`[src]

#### `pub fn new() -> Weak<T>`1.10.0[src]

Constructs a new `Weak<T>`, without allocating any memory. Calling `upgrade` on the return value always gives `None`.

# Examples

    use std::rc::Weak;

    let empty: Weak<i64> = Weak::new();
    assert!(empty.upgrade().is_none());

Run

#### `pub fn as_ptr(&self) -> *const T` 1.45.0[src]

Returns a raw pointer to the object `T` pointed to by this `Weak<T>`.

The pointer is valid only if there are some strong references. The pointer may be dangling, unaligned or even `null` otherwise.

# Examples

    use std::rc::Rc;
    use std::ptr;

    let strong = Rc::new("hello".to_owned());
    let weak = Rc::downgrade(&strong);
    // Both point to the same object
    assert!(ptr::eq(&*strong, weak.as_ptr()));
    // The strong here keeps it alive, so we can still access the object.
    assert_eq!("hello", unsafe { &*weak.as_ptr() });

    drop(strong);
    // But not any more. We can do weak.as_ptr(), but accessing the pointer would lead to
    // undefined behaviour.
    // assert_eq!("hello", unsafe { &*weak.as_ptr() });

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#### `pub fn into_raw(self) -> *const T` 1.45.0[src]

Consumes the `Weak<T>` and turns it into a raw pointer.

This converts the weak pointer into a raw pointer, while still preserving the ownership of one weak reference (the weak count is not modified by this operation). It can be turned back into the `Weak<T>` with `from_raw`.

The same restrictions of accessing the target of the pointer as with `as_ptr` apply.

# Examples

    use std::rc::{Rc, Weak};

    let strong = Rc::new("hello".to_owned());
    let weak = Rc::downgrade(&strong);
    let raw = weak.into_raw();

    assert_eq!(1, Rc::weak_count(&strong));
    assert_eq!("hello", unsafe { &*raw });

    drop(unsafe { Weak::from_raw(raw) });
    assert_eq!(0, Rc::weak_count(&strong));

Run

#### `pub unsafe fn from_raw(ptr: *const T) -> Self` 1.45.0[src]

Converts a raw pointer previously created by `into_raw` back into `Weak<T>`.

This can be used to safely get a strong reference (by calling `upgrade` later) or to deallocate the weak count by dropping the `Weak<T>`.

It takes ownership of one weak reference (with the exception of pointers created by `new`, as these don't own anything; the method still works on them).

# Safety

The pointer must have originated from the `into_raw` and must still own its potential weak reference.

It is allowed for the strong count to be 0 at the time of calling this. Nevertheless, this takes ownership of one weak reference currently represented as a raw pointer (the weak count is not modified by this operation) and therefore it must be paired with a previous call to `into_raw`.

# Examples

    use std::rc::{Rc, Weak};

    let strong = Rc::new("hello".to_owned());

    let raw_1 = Rc::downgrade(&strong).into_raw();
    let raw_2 = Rc::downgrade(&strong).into_raw();

    assert_eq!(2, Rc::weak_count(&strong));

    assert_eq!("hello", &*unsafe { Weak::from_raw(raw_1) }.upgrade().unwrap());
    assert_eq!(1, Rc::weak_count(&strong));

    drop(strong);

    // Decrement the last weak count.
    assert!(unsafe { Weak::from_raw(raw_2) }.upgrade().is_none());

Run

### `impl<T: ?Sized> Weak<T>`[src]

#### `pub fn upgrade(&self) -> Option<Rc<T>>`[src]

Attempts to upgrade the `Weak` pointer to an `Rc`, delaying dropping of the inner value if successful.

Returns `None` if the inner value has since been dropped.

# Examples

    use std::rc::Rc;

    let five = Rc::new(5);

    let weak_five = Rc::downgrade(&five);

    let strong_five: Option<Rc<_>> = weak_five.upgrade();
    assert!(strong_five.is_some());

    // Destroy all strong pointers.
    drop(strong_five);
    drop(five);

    assert!(weak_five.upgrade().is_none());

Run

#### `pub fn strong_count(&self) -> usize` 1.41.0[src]

Gets the number of strong (`Rc`) pointers pointing to this allocation.

If `self` was created using `Weak::new`, this will return 0.

#### `pub fn weak_count(&self) -> usize` 1.41.0[src]

Gets the number of `Weak` pointers pointing to this allocation.

If no strong pointers remain, this will return zero.

#### `pub fn ptr_eq(&self, other: &Self) -> bool` 1.39.0[src]

Returns `true` if the two `Weak`s point to the same allocation (similar to `ptr::eq`), or if both don't point to any allocation (because they were created with `Weak::new()`).

# Notes

Since this compares pointers it means that `Weak::new()` will equal each other, even though they don't point to any allocation.

# Examples

    use std::rc::Rc;

    let first_rc = Rc::new(5);
    let first = Rc::downgrade(&first_rc);
    let second = Rc::downgrade(&first_rc);

    assert!(first.ptr_eq(&second));

    let third_rc = Rc::new(5);
    let third = Rc::downgrade(&third_rc);

    assert!(!first.ptr_eq(&third));

Run

Comparing `Weak::new`.

    use std::rc::{Rc, Weak};

    let first = Weak::new();
    let second = Weak::new();
    assert!(first.ptr_eq(&second));

    let third_rc = Rc::new(());
    let third = Rc::downgrade(&third_rc);
    assert!(!first.ptr_eq(&third));

Run

## Trait Implementations

### `impl<T: ?Sized> Clone for Weak<T>`[src]

#### `fn clone(&self) -> Weak<T>`[src]

Makes a clone of the `Weak` pointer that points to the same allocation.

# Examples

    use std::rc::{Rc, Weak};

    let weak_five = Rc::downgrade(&Rc::new(5));

    let _ = Weak::clone(&weak_five);

Run

#### `fn clone_from(&mut self, source: &Self)`1.0.0[src]

Performs copy-assignment from `source`. Read more

### `impl<T: ?Sized + Unsize<U>, U: ?Sized> CoerceUnsized<Weak<U>> for Weak<T>`[src]

### `impl<T: ?Sized + Debug> Debug for Weak<T>`[src]

#### `fn fmt(&self, f: &mut Formatter<'_>) -> Result`[src]

Formats the value using the given formatter. Read more

### `impl<T> Default for Weak<T>`1.10.0[src]

#### `fn default() -> Weak<T>`[src]

Constructs a new `Weak<T>`, allocating memory for `T` without initializing it. Calling `upgrade` on the return value always gives `None`.

# Examples

    use std::rc::Weak;

    let empty: Weak<i64> = Default::default();
    assert!(empty.upgrade().is_none());

Run

### `impl<T: ?Sized + Unsize<U>, U: ?Sized> DispatchFromDyn<Weak<U>> for Weak<T>`[src]

### `impl<T: ?Sized> Drop for Weak<T>`[src]

#### `fn drop(&mut self)`[src]

Drops the `Weak` pointer.

# Examples

    use std::rc::{Rc, Weak};

    struct Foo;

    impl Drop for Foo {
        fn drop(&mut self) {
            println!("dropped!");
        }
    }

    let foo = Rc::new(Foo);
    let weak_foo = Rc::downgrade(&foo);
    let other_weak_foo = Weak::clone(&weak_foo);

    drop(weak_foo);   // Doesn't print anything
    drop(foo);        // Prints "dropped!"

    assert!(other_weak_foo.upgrade().is_none());

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### `impl<T: ?Sized> !Send for Weak<T>`[src]

### `impl<T: ?Sized> !Sync for Weak<T>`[src]

## Auto Trait Implementations

### `impl<T: ?Sized> Unpin for Weak<T>`

## Blanket Implementations

### `impl<T> Any for T where
T: 'static + ?Sized,` [src]

#### `fn type_id(&self) -> TypeId`[src]

Gets the `TypeId` of `self`. Read more

### `impl<T> Borrow<T> for T where
T: ?Sized,` [src]

#### `fn borrow(&self) -> &T`[src]

Immutably borrows from an owned value. Read more

### `impl<T> BorrowMut<T> for T where
T: ?Sized,` [src]

#### `fn borrow_mut(&mut self) -> &mut T`[src]

Mutably borrows from an owned value. Read more

### `impl<T> From<T> for T`[src]

#### `fn from(t: T) -> T`[src]

Performs the conversion.

### `impl<T, U> Into<U> for T where
U: From<T>,` [src]

#### `fn into(self) -> U`[src]

Performs the conversion.

### `impl<T> ToOwned for T where
T: Clone,` [src]

#### `type Owned = T`

The resulting type after obtaining ownership.

#### `fn to_owned(&Self) -> T`[src]

Creates owned data from borrowed data, usually by cloning. Read more

#### `fn clone_into(&Self, &mut T)`[src]

🔬 This is a nightly-only experimental API. (`toowned_clone_into` #41263)

recently added

Uses borrowed data to replace owned data, usually by cloning. Read more

### `impl<T, U> TryFrom<U> for T where
U: Into<T>,` [src]

#### `type Error = Infallible`

The type returned in the event of a conversion error.

#### `fn try_from(value: U) -> Result<T, <T as TryFrom<U>>::Error>`[src]

Performs the conversion.

### `impl<T, U> TryInto<U> for T where
U: TryFrom<T>,` [src]

#### `type Error = <U as TryFrom<T>>::Error`

The type returned in the event of a conversion error.

#### `fn try_into(self) -> Result<U, <U as TryFrom<T>>::Error>`[src]

Performs the conversion.