template <class T> shared_future;template <class R&> shared_future<R&>; // specialization : T is a reference type (R&)template <> shared_future<void>; // specialization : T is void
Shared future
A shared_future object behaves like a future object, except that it can be copied, and that more than one shared_future can share ownership over their end of a shared state. They also allow the value in the shared state to be retrieved multiple times once ready.
shared_future objects can be implicitly converted from future objects (see its constructor), or explicitly obtained by calling future::share. In both cases, the future object from which it is obtained transfers its association with the shared state to the shared_future and becomes itself non-valid.
The lifetime of the shared state lasts at least until the last object with which it is associated is destroyed. Retrieving the value from a shared_future (with member get) does not release its ownership over the shared state (unlike with futures). Therefore, if associated to shared_future objects, the shared state can survive the object from which it was obtained in the first place (if any).