# std::atomic_ref

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Defined in header `<atomic>` |  |
template< class T > struct atomic_ref; | (1) | (since C++20)
template< class T > struct atomic_ref<T*>; | (2) | (since C++20)

The `std::atomic_ref` class template applies atomic operations to the object it references. For the lifetime of the `atomic_ref` object, the object it references is considered an atomic object. If one thread writes to an atomic object while another thread reads from it, the behavior is well-defined (see memory model for details on data races). In addition, accesses to atomic objects may establish inter-thread synchronization and order non-atomic memory accesses as specified by std::memory_order.

The lifetime of an object must exceed the lifetime of all `atomic_ref`s that references the object. While any `atomic_ref` instances referencing an object exists, the object must be exclusively accessed through these `atomic_ref` instances. No subobject of an object referenced by an `atomic_ref` object may be concurrently referenced by any other `atomic_ref` object.

Atomic operations applied to an object through an `atomic_ref` are atomic with respect to atomic operations applied through any other `atomic_ref` referencing the same object.

`std::atomic_ref` is CopyConstructible.

Like language references, constness is shallow for `atomic_ref` - it is possible to modify the referenced value through a `const` `atomic_ref` object.

### Specializations

#### Primary template

The primary `std::atomic_ref` template may be instantiated with any TriviallyCopyable type `T` (including bool):

    struct Counters { int a; int b; } counter; // user-defined trivially-copyable type
    std::atomic_ref<Counters> cnt(counter);    // specialization for the user-defined type

#### Partial specialization for pointer types

The standard library provides partial specializations of the `std::atomic_ref` template for for all pointer types. In addition to the operations provided for all atomic types, these specializations additionally support atomic arithmetic operations appropriate to pointer types, such as `fetch_add`, `fetch_sub`.

#### Specializations for integral types

When instantiated with one of the following integral types, `std::atomic_ref` provides additional atomic operations appropriate to integral types such as `fetch_add`, `fetch_sub`, `fetch_and`, `fetch_or`, `fetch_xor`:

  - The character types char, char8_t (since C++20), char16_t, char32_t, and wchar_t;
  - The standard signed integer types: signed char, short, int, long, and long long;
  - The standard unsigned integer types: unsigned char, unsigned short, unsigned int, unsigned long, and unsigned long long;
  - Any additional integral types needed by the typedefs in the header `<cstdint>`.

Signed integer arithmetic is defined to use two's complement; there are no undefined results.

#### Specializations for floating-point types

When instantiated with one of the floating-point types float, double, and long double, `std::atomic_ref` provides additional atomic operations appropriate to floating-point types such as `fetch_add` and `fetch_sub`.

No operations result in undefined behavior even if the result is not representable in the floating-point type. The floating-point environment in effect may be different from the calling thread's floating-point environment.

### Member types

Member type | Definition
`value_type` | see below
`difference_type` | `value_type` (only for `atomic_ref<Integral>` and `atomic_ref<Floating>` specializations) std::ptrdiff_t (only for `atomic_ref<T*>` specializations)

For every `std::atomic_ref<X>` (whether or not specialized), `std::atomic_ref<X>::value_type` is `X`.

`difference_type` is not defined in the primary `atomic_ref` template.

### Member functions

(constructor) | constructs an `atomic_ref` object (public member function)
operator= | stores a value into the object referenced by an `atomic_ref` object (public member function)
is_lock_free | checks if the `atomic_ref` object is lock-free (public member function)
store | atomically replaces the value of the referenced object with a non-atomic argument (public member function)
load | atomically obtains the value of the referenced object (public member function)
operator T | loads a value from the referenced object (public member function)
exchange | atomically replaces the value of the referenced object and obtains the value held previously (public member function)
compare_exchange_weak compare_exchange_strong | atomically compares the value of the referenced object with non-atomic argument and performs atomic exchange if equal or atomic load if not (public member function)

### Constants

is_always_lock_free [static] | indicates that the type is always lock-free (public static member constant)
required_alignment [static] | indicates that the required alignment of an object to be referenced by `atomic_ref` (public static member constant)

### Specialized member functions

fetch_add | atomically adds the argument to the value stored in the referenced object and obtains the value held previously (public member function)
fetch_sub | atomically subtracts the argument from the value stored in the referenced object and obtains the value held previously (public member function)
fetch_and | atomically performs bitwise AND between the argument and the value of the referenced object and obtains the value held previously (public member function)
fetch_or | atomically performs bitwise OR between the argument and the value of the referenced object and obtains the value held previously (public member function)
fetch_xor | atomically performs bitwise XOR between the argument and the value of the referenced object and obtains the value held previously (public member function)
operator++operator++(int)operator--operator--(int) | atomically increments or decrements the referenced object by one (public member function)
operator+=operator-=operator&=operator|=operator^= | atomically adds, subtracts, or performs bitwise AND, OR, XOR with the referenced value (public member function)

### See also

atomic (C++11) | atomic class template and specializations for bool, integral, and pointer types (class template)

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