Memory leak?

[t048]

Is this a memory leak? If so, what would be the best way to work around it?

#include "myclass.h"

void func (MyClass *mc){
   // do something with the class
}

MyClass *getAClass (){
   
   MyClass *c = new MyClass ();
   // Do some stuff here
   return c;
}

int main (){

   func (getAClass());
   return 0;
}

What happens to that class instantiated in the [tt]getAClass[/tt] function? Once [tt]func[/tt] returns there are no more pointers to this class. Will it be automatically deleted because its an anonymous variable (I think that’s the correct term, anyway)? Or is it just hanging out in the heap waiting for the program to end? Thanks for your help in clearing up this matter.

[gorn]

[quote author=t048 link=board=9;threadid=5118;start=0#50705 date=1032993608]
Once [tt]func[/tt] returns there are no more pointers to this class. Will it be automatically deleted because its an anonymous variable (I think that’s the correct term, anyway)? Or is it just hanging out in the heap waiting for the program to end? Thanks for your help in clearing up this matter.
[/quote]

There is no garbage collection in C++. you should do:

int main () { 
  MyClass *c;
  c = getAClass();
  func (c);
  delete(c);
  return 0;
}

this way after the class is done being used you delete it.

[pbharris]

[qualifier]
i know damn near nothing about icky languages like C++
[/qualifier]

i thought ya freed memory in C++ with a negation? e.g.

foo(blah)::~foo(blah) ...


please eduacte me gorn!

[GotAnyGrapes?]

To pbharris:

I don't know too much C++, but AFAIK you dynamically allocate memory in C++ with the "new" keyword, and you deallocate the memory with the "delete" keyword. The ~ before a name is a class destrutor, where you would put the delete statements for any dynamically allocated memory inside of that class. Example:

class foo {
  float* mvFloat;
public:
  foo() //could be written outside of the class as foo::foo()
  {
    mvFloat = new float[1000];
  }
  ~foo() //could be written outside of the class as foo::~foo()
  {
    delete [] mvFloat;
  }
};

(The "delete []" is for arrays)

[pbharris]

thanks GotAnyGrapes!

[Schotty]

[quote author=pbharris link=board=9;threadid=5118;start=0#50721 date=1033010019]
[qualifier]
i know damn near nothing about icky languages like C++
[/qualifier]
[/quote]

Icky my ass! C++ is sacred and holy.

[pbharris]

you sir are refering to C and assembly, not C++ - mother of all bloat!

[t048]

Thanks for the replies. Gorn, that's what I thought one needed to do, but there is a problem with that. I'll post the example I was looking at that got me wondering when I get home later today.

[quote author=pbharris link=board=9;threadid=5118;start=0#50796 date=1033132201]
you sir are refering to C and assembly, not C++ - mother of all bloat!
[/quote]
It's not bloat; it's power!

[Schotty]

[me=Schotty]tips his fedora to t048[/me]

Precisely, power. Its going from a go-kart to a Winston Cup NASCAR engine!
(in the Tim "the toolman" Taylor voice) HOHOHOHOHO

[kenshi]

Nah. It's more like going from a race car to a New Yorker. You don't have the speed you did before, but it's considerably more comfortable and easy to drive.