CODEWITHSUNDEEP
c++memory
lasvig
lasvig

Reputation: 191

Freeing memory of object in c++

void node::assign_childs()
{
    node *childs;
    childs = new node[8];
    .
    .
    .
    child_pointer = &childs[0];
}

I have trouble to find a way to free the memory of "child_pointer". "child_pointer" is defined in the the struct "node" as shown below.

struct node{
    vect p;
    vect norm;
    float s;
    unsigned char r,g,b;
    int fac_c;
    vector<int> cfac;
    bool isParent;
    bool filled;

    struct node* child_pointer;

    node(vect, float , vect );
    ~node();

    void assign_childs();

};

Using delete to free child_pointer does not appear to work, i have also tried delete [].

How could i create a destructor to free all child_pointers recursively down from the root node?

(this is a octree, so when i free a node all nodes within that node also gets freed)

if i have to change the way i assign/define child_pointer to make it possible to free it. How would i do that? using an array of 8 pointers is not a alternative, as it will use way to much memory.

here is the destructor i have tried.

node::~node(){
    if (child_pointer != NULL){
        delete [] child_pointer;
    }
}

doing this will crash my program with a segmentation fault.

node *octree(...);
.
.
.
delete octree;

Upvotes: 0

Views: 2210

Answers (1)

Marius
Marius

Reputation: 2273

Just add the following in your destructor:

delete[] child_pointer;

Delete will call the destructor of the children, their deletes will call the destructors of the children's children etc.

Just showing how delete and delete[] is used:

int *foo = new int;
delete foo;

int *bar = new int[42];
delete[] bar;

Upvotes: 3

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