Pointer to vector vs vector of pointers vs pointer to vector of pointers

Question

Just wondering what you think is the best practice regarding vectors in C++.

If I have a class containing a vector member variable. When should this vector be declared a

Answer 1

Complex answer : it depends.

if your vector is shared or has a lifecycle different from the class which embeds it, it might be better to keep it as a pointer. If the objects you're referencing have no (or have expensive) copy constructors , then it's better to keep a vector of pointer. In the contrary, if your objects use shallow copy, using vector of objects prevent you from leaking...