KITFORMA · EDITORIAL GUIDE
Can a vector<unique_ptr<T>> getter return span<T*> without copying?
KitForma editorial guide. No contiguous array of T* exists inside that vector: its contiguous elements are unique_ptr objects, not raw pointer objects. A reinterpret cast cannot manufacture the layout required by span.
Step-by-step guidance
No contiguous array of T* exists inside that vector: its contiguous elements are unique_ptr objects, not raw pointer objects. A reinterpret cast cannot manufacture the layout required by span.
On C++20, expose a transform view yielding p.get() when callers need iteration, or return a separately built vector<T*> when an actual contiguous pointer array is required. Alternatively expose a const span of unique_ptr elements if exposing ownership wrappers is an acceptable interface.
Test null owners and owner-vector mutation. The raw pointees can outlive a vector reallocation, but a transform view borrowing that vector has its own lifetime and invalidation rules. No proposed view transfers ownership.
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