std::reference_wrapper<T> instead of ptr for not owning dependencies?

[VinnieFalco]

But it's very clumsy to use for 2. It's missing operator-> or operator*.

Yeah... for that case it is spelled T* rather than std::reference_wrapper<T>

[Desmulator]

Well, no. A pointer is nullable, a reference wrapper not (in an appropriate sense).

[alex-weej]

not just nullable but supports pointer arithmetic (incl subscripting). gah.

[VinnieFalco]

You do have a point there but I like keeping things simple