A Question On Smart Pointers and Their Inevitable Indeterminism

class System {
public:
    boost::shared_ptr< Subsystem > GetSubsystem( unsigned int index ) {
        assert( index < mSubsystems.size() );
        return mSubsystems[ index ];
    }

    void LogMessage( const std::string& message ) {
        std::cout << message << std::endl;
    }

private:
    typedef std::vector< boost::shared_ptr< Subsystem > > SubsystemList;
    SubsystemList mSubsystems;
};

class Subsystem {
public:
    Subsystem( System* pParentSystem )
         : mpParentSystem( pParentSystem ) {
    }

    ~Subsystem() {
         pParentSubsystem->LogMessage( "Destroying..." );
         // Destroy this subsystem: deallocate memory, release resource, etc.
    }

    /*
     Other stuff here
    */

private:
    System * pParentSystem; // raw pointer to avoid cycles - can also use weak_ptrs
};

int main() {
    {
        boost::shared_ptr< Subsystem > pSomeSubsystem;
        {
            boost::shared_ptr< System > pSystem( new System );
            pSomeSubsystem = pSystem->GetSubsystem( /* some index */ );

        } // Our System would go out of scope and be destroyed here, but the Subsystem that pSomeSubsystem points to will not be destroyed.

     } // pSomeSubsystem would go out of scope here but wait a second, how are we going to log messages in Subsystem's destructor?! Its parent System is destroyed after all. BOOM!

    return 0;
}

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <vector>

#include <boost/shared_ptr.hpp>


// Forward Declarations to allow friending
class System;
class ProxyableSubsystemBase;

// Base defining the interface for Subsystems
class SubsystemBase
{
  public:
    // pure virtual functions
    virtual void DoSomething(void) = 0;
    virtual int GetSize(void) = 0;

    virtual ~SubsystemBase() {} // virtual destructor for base class
};


// Null Object Pattern: an object which implements the interface to do nothing.
class NullSubsystem : public SubsystemBase
{
  public:
    // implements pure virtual functions from SubsystemBase to do nothing.
    void DoSomething(void) { }
    int GetSize(void) { return -1; }

    // Singleton Pattern: We only ever need one NullSubsystem, so we'll enforce that
    static NullSubsystem *instance()
    {
      static NullSubsystem singletonInstance;
      return &singletonInstance;
    }

  private:
    NullSubsystem() {}  // private constructor to inforce Singleton Pattern
};


// Proxy Pattern: An object that takes the place of another to provide better
//   control over the uses of that object
class SubsystemProxy : public SubsystemBase
{
  friend class ProxyableSubsystemBase;

  public:
    SubsystemProxy(SubsystemBase *ProxiedSubsystem)
      : mProxied(ProxiedSubsystem)
      {
      }

    // implements pure virtual functions from SubsystemBase to forward to mProxied
    void DoSomething(void) { mProxied->DoSomething(); }
    int  GetSize(void) { return mProxied->GetSize(); }

  protected:
    // State Pattern: the initial state of the SubsystemProxy is to point to a
    //  valid SubsytemBase, which is passed into the constructor.  Calling Nullify()
    //  causes a change in the internal state to point to a NullSubsystem, which allows
    //  the proxy to still perform correctly, despite the Subsystem going out of scope.
    void Nullify()
    {
        mProxied=NullSubsystem::instance();
    }

  private:
      SubsystemBase *mProxied;
};


// A Base for real Subsystems to add the Proxying behavior
class ProxyableSubsystemBase : public SubsystemBase
{
  friend class System;  // Allow system to call our GetProxy() method.

  public:
    ProxyableSubsystemBase()
      : mProxy(new SubsystemProxy(this)) // create our proxy object
    {
    }
    ~ProxyableSubsystemBase()
    {
      mProxy->Nullify(); // inform our proxy object we are going away
    }

  protected:
    boost::shared_ptr<SubsystemProxy> GetProxy() { return mProxy; }

  private:
    boost::shared_ptr<SubsystemProxy> mProxy;
};


// the managing system
class System
{
  public:
    typedef boost::shared_ptr< SubsystemProxy > SubsystemHandle;
    typedef boost::shared_ptr< ProxyableSubsystemBase > SubsystemPtr;

    SubsystemHandle GetSubsystem( unsigned int index )
    {
        assert( index < mSubsystems.size() );
        return mSubsystems[ index ]->GetProxy();
    }

    void LogMessage( const std::string& message )
    {
        std::cout << "  <System>: " << message << std::endl;
    }

    int AddSubsystem( ProxyableSubsystemBase *pSubsystem )
    {
      LogMessage("Adding Subsystem:");
      mSubsystems.push_back(SubsystemPtr(pSubsystem));
      return mSubsystems.size()-1;
    }

    System()
    {
      LogMessage("System is constructing.");
    }

    ~System()
    {
      LogMessage("System is going out of scope.");
    }

  private:
    // have to hold base pointers
    typedef std::vector< boost::shared_ptr<ProxyableSubsystemBase> > SubsystemList;
    SubsystemList mSubsystems;
};

// the actual Subsystem
class Subsystem : public ProxyableSubsystemBase
{
  public:
    Subsystem( System* pParentSystem, const std::string ID )
      : mParentSystem( pParentSystem )
      , mID(ID)
    {
         mParentSystem->LogMessage( "Creating... "+mID );
    }

    ~Subsystem()
    {
         mParentSystem->LogMessage( "Destroying... "+mID );
    }

    // implements pure virtual functions from SubsystemBase
    void DoSomething(void) { mParentSystem->LogMessage( mID + " is DoingSomething (tm)."); }
    int GetSize(void) { return sizeof(Subsystem); }

  private:
    System * mParentSystem; // raw pointer to avoid cycles - can also use weak_ptrs
    std::string mID;
};



//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Actual Use Example
int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{

  std::cout << "main(): Creating Handles H1 and H2 for Subsystems. " << std::endl;
  System::SubsystemHandle H1;
  System::SubsystemHandle H2;

  std::cout << "-------------------------------------------" << std::endl;
  {
    std::cout << "  main(): Begin scope for System." << std::endl;
    System mySystem;
    int FrankIndex = mySystem.AddSubsystem(new Subsystem(&mySystem, "Frank"));
    int ErnestIndex = mySystem.AddSubsystem(new Subsystem(&mySystem, "Ernest"));

    std::cout << "  main(): Assigning Subsystems to H1 and H2." << std::endl;
    H1=mySystem.GetSubsystem(FrankIndex);
    H2=mySystem.GetSubsystem(ErnestIndex);


    std::cout << "  main(): Doing something on H1 and H2." << std::endl;
    H1->DoSomething();
    H2->DoSomething();
    std::cout << "  main(): Leaving scope for System." << std::endl;
  }
  std::cout << "-------------------------------------------" << std::endl;
  std::cout << "main(): Doing something on H1 and H2. (outside System Scope.) " << std::endl;
  H1->DoSomething();
  H2->DoSomething();
  std::cout << "main(): No errors from using handles to out of scope Subsystems because of Proxy to Null Object." << std::endl;

  return 0;
}

main(): Creating Handles H1 and H2 for Subsystems.
-------------------------------------------
  main(): Begin scope for System.
  <System>: System is constructing.
  <System>: Creating... Frank
  <System>: Adding Subsystem:
  <System>: Creating... Ernest
  <System>: Adding Subsystem:
  main(): Assigning Subsystems to H1 and H2.
  main(): Doing something on H1 and H2.
  <System>: Frank is DoingSomething (tm).
  <System>: Ernest is DoingSomething (tm).
  main(): Leaving scope for System.
  <System>: System is going out of scope.
  <System>: Destroying... Frank
  <System>: Destroying... Ernest
-------------------------------------------
main(): Doing something on H1 and H2. (outside System Scope.)
main(): No errors from using handles to out of scope Subsystems because of Proxy to Null Object.

class Subsystem
{
...
  ~Subsystem() {
       boost::shared_ptr<System> my_system(pParentSystem.lock());

       if (NULL != my_system.get()) {  // only works if pParentSystem refers to a valid System object
         // now you are guaranteed this will work, since a reference is held to the System object
         my_system->LogMessage( "Destroying..." );
       }
       // Destroy this subsystem: deallocate memory, release resource, etc.

       // when my_system goes out of scope, this may cause the associated System object to be destroyed as well (if it holds the last reference)
  }
...
};