[SOLVED] Does a std::map where the key is a pointer dereference pointers, or do you need a custom comparator?

Does a std::map where the key is a pointer dereference pointers, or do you need a custom comparator?

I have a question on how pointers to a custom object are handled when used as Keys in an map. More specifically if I define

std::map< CustomClass*, int > foo;

Would the default C++ implementation work to handle these pointers? Or do I need to define a custom comparator function to handle it? In general, is it good practice to use pointers to objects as keys?

Solution

The default implementation will compare the addresses stored by the pointers, so different objects will be considered as different keys. However, the logical state of the object will not be considered. For example, if you use std::string * as the key, two different std::string objects with the same text of "Hello" would be considered a different key! (When stored in the map by their addresses)

It's ok to use pointers as keys so long as you understand the important difference above.