Proof of concept

.gitignore

@@ -53,3 +53,5 @@ dkms.conf
 
 # debug information files
 *.dwo
+
+/sc

run.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+gcc scope-count.c -o sc
+
+./sc

scope-count.c

@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+struct ScopeCount
+{
+    int count;
+    int is_alias;
+    void *item;
+};
+
+int scope_count(void *item, int is_alias)
+{
+    struct ScopeCount sc;
+    sc.count = 0;
+    sc.is_alias = 0;
+    sc.item = item;
+
+    sc.count++;
+    sc.is_alias = is_alias;
+
+    return sc.count;
+}
+
+void end_scope(struct ScopeCount *sc)
+{
+    if (sc->count == 0)
+    {
+        free(sc->item);
+    }
+    sc->count--;
+}
+
+struct ScopeCount do_something()
+{
+    struct ScopeCount sc;
+    sc.count = 1;
+    sc.is_alias = 0;
+
+    sc.item = malloc(sizeof(int));
+
+    *(int *)sc.item = 67;
+
+    end_scope(&sc);
+
+    return sc;
+}
+
+int main()
+{
+    struct ScopeCount sc = do_something();
+
+    printf("value: %d\n", *(int *)sc.item);
+
+    end_scope(&sc);
+
+    printf("value: %d\n", *(int *)sc.item);
+
+    return 0;
+}