Define and compare smart pointers
Company: xAI
Role: Software Engineer
Category: Coding & Algorithms
Difficulty: medium
Interview Round: Technical Screen
What is a smart pointer? How do smart pointers manage ownership and lifetimes compared with raw pointers? Describe common types (unique, shared, weak), mechanisms (RAII, reference counting, custom deleters), typical overheads, and pitfalls like reference cycles; include examples from C++ or Rust.
Overview: This question evaluates understanding of memory management and ownership semantics, covering competencies such as RAII, reference counting, lifetime management, custom deleters, and the roles of unique, shared, and weak smart pointer types.