Raw pointers are banned in new code unless absolutely necessary. Instead, use managed pointer types to prevent null pointer dereferences, dangling pointers, and memory safety issues. Use the appropriate managed pointer type based on ownership semantics: - `SP` (shared pointer) for shared ownership - `UP` (unique pointer) for exclusive ownership - `WP` (weak pointer) for non-owning references Example from the codebase: ```cpp // Bad - raw pointer prone to null dereferences CExtWorkspaceHandleV1* workspace; SSessionLockSurface* touchFocusLockSurface; CXxColorManagementSurfaceV4* m_pCMSurface = nullptr; // Good - managed pointers prevent null issues SP workspace; WP touchFocusLockSurface; WP m_pCMSurface; ``` For protocol implementations, prefer `UP<>` for resource ownership while allowing `WP<>` references to it. This pattern ensures proper lifetime management and prevents accessing freed memory.