Don't use auto_ptr. Try one of unique_ptr or shared_ptr. Here's Sutter explaining when to use which:
When in doubt, prefer unique_ptr by default, and you can always later move-convert to shared_ptr if you need it. If you know from the start you need shared ownership, however, go directly to shared_ptr via make_shared (see #2 below).
Also from his blog-post:
3. What’s the deal with auto_ptr?
auto_ptr is most charitably characterized as a valiant attempt to
create a unique_ptr before C++ had move semantics.
auto_ptr is now deprecated, and should not be used in new code. When
you get a chance, try doing a global search-and-replace of auto_ptr to
unique_ptr in your code base; the vast majority of uses will work the
same, and it might expose (as a compile-time error) or fix (silently)
a bug or two you didn’t know you had.
So, your member declarations change from:
sf::Texture * tSpriteSheet;
to:
std::unique_ptr<sf::Texture> tSpriteSheet;
As for member functions which return a raw pointer you have but the obvious choice: You cannot return a unique_ptr if the class is not movable. So, you can either:
- Keep the signature as-is
- Return a
const& unique_ptr<T>
- Return a reference to the object
Choose the one that suits your needs the best.
