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04 Dynamic Memory Allocation

The document discusses dynamic memory allocation in C++ including defining pointer variables, allocating memory using new and deallocating memory using delete, initializing dynamically allocated memory, allocating arrays dynamically using new [], and deallocating dynamically allocated arrays using delete [].

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Adli Syukri
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8 views

04 Dynamic Memory Allocation

The document discusses dynamic memory allocation in C++ including defining pointer variables, allocating memory using new and deallocating memory using delete, initializing dynamically allocated memory, allocating arrays dynamically using new [], and deallocating dynamically allocated arrays using delete [].

Uploaded by

Adli Syukri
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CSNB244 Programming II with C++

CSNB244 Programming II with C++

Objectives
• In this chapter you will learn:
– How to define the size of an array dynamically
– How to allocate /deallocate memory in a program
– How to perform dynamic memory management

• To use dynamic memory allocation you have


to understand and use pointer variables.

AS Dept. of Systems & Networking 2


CSNB244 Programming II with C++

Pointer Declaration
• General format:

data_type *pointer_name;

• E.g.:
int *numberPtr;

• Declares numberptr as a variable that points to an


integer variable.
• Its content is a memory address
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CSNB244 Programming II with C++

Referencing & Dereferencing


• E.g. Assume that the address of number is
11110000. 11110000
number 3

int number = 3;
int *numberPtr = &number; Output:
printf(“%d”, *numberPtr); 3
printf(“%d”, numberPtr); 11110000
printf(“%d”, &*numberPtr); 11110000
printf(“%d”, *&numberPtr); 11110000
return 0;

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CSNB244 Programming II with C++

Memory Allocation
• What is Memory Allocation ?
• Types of memory allocation
– Static
– Dynamic
• Static Memory Allocation – compiler time
• Dynamic Memory Allocation – run time
• We can control the allocation and deallocation
of memory in a program for objects and for
arrays :
– of any built-in or user-defined type.
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CSNB244 Programming II with C++

Dynamic Memory Management


• How ??
• new
• delete.
• new operator: dynamically allocate (i.e. reserve)
the exact amount of memory required to hold
an object or array at execution time.
• The object or array created in the free store (also
called the heap) - a region of memory assigned
to each program for storing dynamically
allocated objects.
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CSNB244 Programming II with C++

Dynamic Memory Management


• Once memory is allocated in the free
store, it can be access via the pointer
that operator new returns.
• To return memory to the free store use
the delete operator to deallocate (i.e.
release) it.

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CSNB244 Programming II with C++

Obtaining Dynamic Memory with new


• Consider the following statement:
Time *timePtr = new Time

• The new operator allocates storage of the proper size for an


object of type Time
– calls the default constructor to initialize the
object and returns a pointer to the type specified
to the right of the new operator (i.e. a Time *).
• If new is unable to find sufficient space in memory for the
object, it indicates that an error occurred by “throwing an
exception.”

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CSNB244 Programming II with C++

Obtaining Dynamic Memory with


delete
• To destroy a dynamically allocated object, use
the delete operator as follows:
• delete Timeptr;
• This statement first calls the destructor for the
object to which Timeptr points, then
deallocates the memory associated with the
object, returning the memory to the free store.

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CSNB244 Programming II with C++

continue

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CSNB244 Programming II with C++

Initializing Dynamic Memory


• an initializer can be provide for a newly created
fundamental-type variable, as in
• double *ptr = new double( 3.14159 );
– Which initializes a newly created double to 3.14159
and assigns the resulting pointer to ptr
• The same syntax can be used to specify a comma-
separated list of arguments to the constructor of
an object.
• Time *timePtr = new Time ( 12,45,0 );
– Which initializes a new Time object to 12:45 PM and
assigns the resulting pointer to timePtr
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CSNB244 Programming II with C++

Dynamic Allocating Arrays with new []


• the new operator can also be used to allocate arrays dynamically.
• For example, a 10-element integer array can be allocated and
assigned to gradesArray as follows:
• int *gradesArray = new int[ 10 ];
Which declares int pointer gradesArray and assigns to it a
pointer to the first element of a dynamically allocated 10-
element array of ints.
• A dynamically allocated array’s size can be specified using any
non-negative integral expression that can be evaluated at
execution time.
• Also, when allocating an array of objects dynamically, you
cannot pass arguments to each object’s constructor—each object
is initialized by its default constructor.

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CSNB244 Programming II with C++

Releasing Dynamic Allocated Arrays with delete


[]

• To deallocate a dynamically allocated array,


use the statement
• delete [] ptr;
• If the pointer points to an array of objects, the
statement first calls the destructor for every
object in the array, then deallocates the
memory.
• Using delete on a null pointer (i.e., a
pointer with the value 0) has no effect.
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CSNB244 Programming II with C++

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