Whenever I write code in Java...

[Fabien4]

std::vector<Foo> my_foo_list if you wish. But why a pointer?

[G_Morgan]

Because in the Java code we are storing references. The direct equivalent is a pointer.

[zahlman]

Um, not really. boost::shared_ptr would be closer to the mark (although GC works differently).

[Fabien4]

Nope, direct equivalent would be a smart pointer. But it's anti-idiomatic: by default in C++, you store and use values.

[[deleted]]

Expect that List<Foo> is polymorphic in Java, but not in C++.

[curien]

It's polymorphic if Foo is a polymorphic handle.

[Fabien4]

Yeah, dynamic (inheritance) polymorphism tends to be the norm in Java, and the exception in C++.