reference counting using a pointer

[Eduardo Pérez Ureta <eperez dei inf uc3m es>]

Could anyone explain me why don't you use:

void g_io_channel_ref (GIOChannel **channel);
instead of:
void g_io_channel_ref (GIOChannel *channel);


With the current approach I use:

GIOChannel* iochannel = NULL;
GIOChannel* iochannelnew = NULL;
_code_
if (iochannel != NULL) {
  g_io_channel_unref(iochannel);
  iochannel == NULL;
}
iochannel = g_io_channel_unix_new(fd);
_code_
if (iochannelnew != NULL) {
  g_io_channel_unref(iochannelnew);
  iochannelnew == NULL;
}
g_io_channel_ref(iochannel); iochannelnew = iochannel;
_code_
if (iochannel != NULL) {
  g_io_channel_unref(iochannel);
  iochannel == NULL;
}


Much of the code above should be cut when gcc optimizes.


With the approach I say:

GIOChannel* iochannel = NULL;
GIOChannel* iochannelnew = NULL;
_code_
g_io_channel_unix_new(&iochannel, fd);
_code_
g_io_channel_ref(&iochannel, &iochannelnew);
_code_
g_io_channel_unref(&iochannel);


This should be as fast as above if those functions are defined as macros.
The second approach could also remember where references are (useful for
debugging).