std::make_unique, std::make_unique_for_overwrite

Defined in header `<memory>`
	(1)
template< class T, class... Args > unique_ptr<T> make_unique( Args&&... args );			(since C++14) (until C++23) (only for non-array types)
template< class T, class... Args > constexpr unique_ptr<T> make_unique( Args&&... args );			(since C++23) (only for non-array types)
		(2)
template< class T > unique_ptr<T> make_unique( std::size_t size );				(since C++14) (until C++23) (only for array types with unknown bound)
template< class T > constexpr unique_ptr<T> make_unique( std::size_t size );				(since C++23) (only for array types with unknown bound)
template< class T, class... Args > /* unspecified */ make_unique( Args&&... args ) = delete;			(3)	(since C++14) (only for array types with known bound)
			(4)
template< class T > unique_ptr<T> make_unique_for_overwrite();					(since C++20) (until C++23) (only for non-array types)
template< class T > constexpr unique_ptr<T> make_unique_for_overwrite();					(since C++23) (only for non-array types)
				(5)
template< class T > unique_ptr<T> make_unique_for_overwrite( std::size_t size );						(since C++20) (until C++23) (only for array types with unknown bound)
template< class T > constexpr unique_ptr<T> make_unique_for_overwrite( std::size_t size );						(since C++23) (only for array types with unknown bound)
template< class T, class... Args > /* unspecified */ make_unique_for_overwrite( Args&&... args ) = delete;					(6)	(since C++20) (only for array types with known bound)

Constructs an object of type T and wraps it in a std::unique_ptr.

1) Constructs a non-array type T. The arguments args are passed to the constructor of T. This overload participates in overload resolution only if T is not an array type. The function is equivalent to:

unique_ptr<T>(new T(std::forward<Args>(args)...))

2) Constructs an array of the given dynamic size. The array elements are value-initialized. This overload participates in overload resolution only if T is an array of unknown bound. The function is equivalent to:

unique_ptr<T>(new std::remove_extent_t<T>[size]())

3,6) Construction of arrays of known bound is disallowed.

4) Same as (1), except that the object is default-initialized. This overload participates in overload resolution only if T is not an array type. The function is equivalent to:

unique_ptr<T>(new T)

5) Same as (2), except that the array is default-initialized. This overload participates in overload resolution only if T is an array of unknown bound. The function is equivalent to:

unique_ptr<T>(new std::remove_extent_t<T>[size])

Parameters

args	-	list of arguments with which an instance of `T` will be constructed
size	-	the length of the array to construct

Return value

std::unique_ptr of an instance of type T.

Exceptions

May throw std::bad_alloc or any exception thrown by the constructor of T. If an exception is thrown, this function has no effect.

Possible Implementation

make_unique (1,2,3)

// C++14 make_unique
namespace detail
{
    template<class>
    constexpr bool is_unbounded_array_v = false;
    template<class T>
    constexpr bool is_unbounded_array_v<T[]> = true;
 
    template<class>
    constexpr bool is_bounded_array_v = false;
    template<class T, std::size_t N>
    constexpr bool is_bounded_array_v<T[N]> = true;
} // namespace detail
 
template<class T, class... Args>
std::enable_if_t<!std::is_array<T>::value, std::unique_ptr<T>>
make_unique(Args&&... args)
{
    return std::unique_ptr<T>(new T(std::forward<Args>(args)...));
}
 
template<class T>
std::enable_if_t<detail::is_unbounded_array_v<T>, std::unique_ptr<T>>
make_unique(std::size_t n)
{
    return std::unique_ptr<T>(new std::remove_extent_t<T>[n]());
}
 
template<class T, class... Args>
std::enable_if_t<detail::is_bounded_array_v<T>> make_unique(Args&&...) = delete;

make_unique_for_overwrite (4,5,6)

// C++20 make_unique_for_overwrite
template<class T>
    requires (!std::is_array_v<T>)
std::unique_ptr<T> make_unique_for_overwrite()
{
    return std::unique_ptr<T>(new T);
}
 
template<class T>
    requires std::is_unbounded_array_v<T>
std::unique_ptr<T> make_unique_for_overwrite(std::size_t n)
{
    return std::unique_ptr<T>(new std::remove_extent_t<T>[n]);
}
 
template<class T, class... Args>
    requires std::is_bounded_array_v<T>
void make_unique_for_overwrite(Args&&...) = delete;

Notes

Unlike std::make_shared (which has std::allocate_shared), std::make_unique does not have an allocator-aware counterpart. allocate_unique proposed in P0211 would be required to invent the deleter type D for the std::unique_ptr<T,D> it returns which would contain an allocator object and invoke both destroy and deallocate in its operator().

Feature-test macro	Value	Std	Comment
`__cpp_lib_make_unique`	201304L	(C++14)	`std::make_unique`; overload (1)
`__cpp_lib_smart_ptr_for_overwrite`	202002L	(C++20)	Smart pointer creation with default initialization (std::allocate_shared_for_overwrite, std::make_shared_for_overwrite, `std::make_unique_for_overwrite`); overloads (4-6)
`__cpp_lib_constexpr_memory`	202202L	(C++23)	`constexpr` for overloads (1,2,4,5)

Example

Run this code

#include <iomanip>
#include <iostream>
#include <memory>
 
struct Vec3
{
    int x, y, z;
 
    // following constructor is no longer needed since C++20
    Vec3(int x = 0, int y = 0, int z = 0) noexcept : x(x), y(y), z(z) {}
 
    friend std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& os, const Vec3& v)
    {
        return os << "{ x=" << v.x << ", y=" << v.y << ", z=" << v.z << " }";
    }
};
 
int main()
{
    // Use the default constructor.
    std::unique_ptr<Vec3> v1 = std::make_unique<Vec3>();
    // Use the constructor that matches these arguments
    std::unique_ptr<Vec3> v2 = std::make_unique<Vec3>(0, 1, 2);
    // Create a unique_ptr to an array of 5 elements
    std::unique_ptr<Vec3[]> v3 = std::make_unique<Vec3[]>(5);
 
    std::cout << "make_unique<Vec3>():      " << *v1 << '\n'
              << "make_unique<Vec3>(0,1,2): " << *v2 << '\n'
              << "make_unique<Vec3[]>(5):   ";
    for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++)
        std::cout << std::setw(i ? 30 : 0) << v3[i] << '\n';
}

Output:

make_unique<Vec3>():      { x=0, y=0, z=0 }
make_unique<Vec3>(0,1,2): { x=0, y=1, z=2 }
make_unique<Vec3[]>(5):   { x=0, y=0, z=0 }
                          { x=0, y=0, z=0 }
                          { x=0, y=0, z=0 }
                          { x=0, y=0, z=0 }
                          { x=0, y=0, z=0 }

Compiler support
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Language
Standard library
Standard library headers
Named requirements
Feature test macros (C++20)
Language support library
Concepts library (C++20)
Metaprogramming library (C++11)
Diagnostics library
General utilities library
Strings library
Containers library
Iterators library
Ranges library (C++20)
Algorithms library
Numerics library
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Filesystem library (C++17)
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Technical specifications
Symbols index
External libraries

Member functions
unique_ptr::unique_ptr
unique_ptr::~unique_ptr
unique_ptr::operator=
Modifiers
unique_ptr::release
unique_ptr::reset
unique_ptr::swap
Observers
unique_ptr::get
unique_ptr::get_deleter
unique_ptr::operator bool
unique_ptr::operator*unique_ptr::operator->
unique_ptr::operator[]
Non-member functions
make_uniquemake_unique_for_overwrite (C++14)(C++20)
operator==operator!=operator<operator>operator<=operator>=operator<=> (until C++20)(C++20)
operator<< (C++20)
std::swap
Helper classes
std::hash

(constructor)	constructs a new `unique_ptr` (public member function)
make_sharedmake_shared_for_overwrite (C++20)	creates a shared pointer that manages a new object (function template)