ptr::Release

Releases all owned references on the COM object.

void Release();

Remarks

Calling this function releases all owned references on the COM object and sets the internal handle to the COM object to nullptr. If no other references on the COM object exist, it will be destroyed.

Example

This example implements a CLR class that uses a com::ptr to wrap its private member IXMLDOMDocument object. The ReplaceDocument member function uses Release to release any prior document object before attaching the new document.

// comptr_release.cpp
// compile with: /clr /link msxml2.lib
#include <msxml2.h>
#include <msclr\com\ptr.h>

#import <msxml3.dll> raw_interfaces_only

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Runtime::InteropServices;
using namespace msclr;

// a ref class that uses a com::ptr to contain an 
// IXMLDOMDocument object
ref class XmlDocument {
public:
   // construct the internal com::ptr with a null interface
   // and use CreateInstance to fill it
   XmlDocument(String^ progid) {
      m_ptrDoc.CreateInstance(progid);   
   }

   // replace currently held COM object with another one
   void ReplaceDocument(IXMLDOMDocument* pDoc) {
      // release current document object
      m_ptrDoc.Release();
      // attach the new document object
      m_ptrDoc.Attach(pDoc);
   }

   // note that the destructor will call the com::ptr destructor
   // and automatically release the reference to the COM object

private:
   com::ptr<IXMLDOMDocument> m_ptrDoc;
};

// unmanaged function that creates a raw XML DOM Document object
IXMLDOMDocument* CreateDocument() {
   IXMLDOMDocument* pDoc = NULL;
   Marshal::ThrowExceptionForHR(CoCreateInstance(CLSID_DOMDocument30, NULL,
      CLSCTX_INPROC_SERVER, IID_IXMLDOMDocument, (void**)&pDoc));
   return pDoc;
}


// use the ref class to handle an XML DOM Document object
int main() {
   IXMLDOMDocument* pDoc = NULL;

   try {
      // create the class from a progid string
      XmlDocument doc("Msxml2.DOMDocument.3.0");

      // get another document object from unmanaged function and
      // store it in place of the one held by our ref class
      pDoc = CreateDocument();
      doc.ReplaceDocument(pDoc);
      // no further need for raw object reference
      pDoc->Release();
      pDoc = NULL;
   }
   catch (Exception^ e) {
      Console::WriteLine(e);   
   }
   finally {
      if (NULL != pDoc) {
         pDoc->Release();
      }
   }
}

Requirements

Header file <msclr\com\ptr.h>

Namespace msclr::com

See Also

Reference

ptr::Detach

Other Resources

ptr Members