Deprecate SmartPointer::clear().

diff --git a/include/deal.II/base/smartpointer.h b/include/deal.II/base/smartpointer.h
index 947d6badc6a96c7144d1ae7659587a439148250a..7511e386be7fab93e6bc4111aeefd7397e81f731 100644 (file)
--- a/include/deal.II/base/smartpointer.h
+++ b/include/deal.II/base/smartpointer.h
@@ -159,8 +159,16 @@ public:
   operator=(const SmartPointer<T, P> &tt);
 
   /**
-   * Delete the object pointed to and set the pointer to zero.
+   * Delete the object pointed to and set the pointer to nullptr. Note
+   * that unlike what the documentation of the class describes, *this
+   * function actually deletes the object pointed to*. That is, this
+   * function assumes a SmartPointer's ownership of the object pointed to.
+   *
+   * @deprecated This function is deprecated. It does not use the
+   * semantics we usually use for this class, and its use is surely
+   * going to be confusing.
    */
+  DEAL_II_DEPRECATED
   void
   clear();