Reputation: 41

C++ custom template LinkedList crashes adding std::string

For academic purposes, I'm trying to develop a little "textual adventure game". I have to implement all data structures by my own. Now, I have some problems with the implementation of a generic (template) LinkedList.

In the specific, this data structure works with everything (primitive data types and custom objects) BUT strings! (standard library strings).

When I try to add strings to a list, the application crashes with the following error (in console):

"terminate called after throwing an instance of 'std::logic_error' what(): basic_string::_S_constructor null not valid"

The list is implemented as a "double linked list" using the head-node as first-last node

Here the code ("Abstract" List interface):

#ifndef LIST_H_
#define LIST_H_

template <class T>
class List
{
public:
 virtual ~List() {}
 virtual T get(int position) = 0;
 virtual List* add(T item) = 0;
 virtual List* insert(T item, int position) = 0;
 virtual List* remove(int position) = 0;
 virtual int size() const = 0;
 virtual bool isEmpty() const = 0;

protected:

private:

};

#endif /* LIST_H_ */

This is the LinkedList implementation (the "node" class):

#include "List.h"
#include <stdlib.h>

#ifndef LINKEDLIST_H_
#define LINKEDLIST_H_

template <class T>
class ListNode
{
public:
ListNode(T item)
{
    mItem = item;
    mNext = NULL;
    mPrev = NULL;
}

ListNode(T item, ListNode<T>* next, ListNode<T>* prev)
{
    mItem = item;
    mNext = next;
    mPrev = prev;
}


~ListNode()
{
    delete &mItem;
}


T getItem()
{
    return mItem;
}


ListNode<T>* getNext()
{
    return mNext;
}


ListNode<T>* getPrev()
{
    return mPrev;
}


void setItem(T item)
{
    mItem = item;
}


void setNext(ListNode<T>* next)
{
    mNext = next;
}


void setPrev(ListNode<T>* prev)
{
    mPrev = prev;
}

protected:
private:
T mItem;
ListNode<T> *mNext, *mPrev;
};

The LinkedList class:

template <class K>
class LinkedList : public List<K>
{
public:
LinkedList()
{
    mSize = 0;
    mFirstNode = NULL;
}

~LinkedList()
{
    // implementazione distruttore tramite ciclo sui nodi
}

K get(int position)
{
    K item = NULL;

    ListNode<K>* targetNode = getNodeAtPosition(position);
    if (targetNode != NULL) item = targetNode->getItem();

    return item;
}

List<K>* add(K item)
{
    if (mFirstNode == NULL)
    {
        mFirstNode = new ListNode<K>(item);
        mFirstNode->setNext(mFirstNode);
        mFirstNode->setPrev(mFirstNode);
    }
    else
    {
        ListNode<K>* newNode = new ListNode<K>(item, mFirstNode, mFirstNode->getPrev());
        mFirstNode->getPrev()->setNext(newNode);
        mFirstNode->setPrev(newNode);
    }

    mSize++;
    return this;
}

List<K>* insert(K item, int position)
{
    ListNode<K>* targetNode = getNodeAtPosition(position);

    if (targetNode != NULL)
    {
        ListNode<K>* newNode = new ListNode<K>(targetNode->getItem(), targetNode->getNext(), targetNode);
        targetNode->setItem(item);
        targetNode->setNext(newNode);

        mSize++;
    }

    return this;
}

List<K>* remove(int position)
{
    ListNode<K>* targetNode = getNodeAtPosition(position);
    if (targetNode != NULL)
    {
        targetNode->setItem(targetNode->getNext()->getItem());
        targetNode->setNext(targetNode->getNext()->getNext());

        //delete targetNode->getNext();
        mSize--;
    }

    return this;
}

int size() const
{
    return mSize;
}

bool isEmpty() const
{
    return (mFirstNode == NULL) ? true : false;
}

protected:
ListNode<K>* getNodeAtPosition(int position)
{
    ListNode<K>* current = NULL;

    if (mFirstNode != NULL && position < mSize)
    {
        current = mFirstNode;

        for (int i = 0; i < position; i++)
        {
            current = current->getNext();
        }
    }

    return current;
}

private:
     int mSize;
     ListNode<K>* mFirstNode;
};

 #endif /* LINKEDLIST_H_ */

Suggestions?

Upvotes: 0

Answers (3)

Imhotep

Reputation: 41

It seems it's not possible to pass std::string as template argument...

Strings as Template Arguments

Now I use an "old" - char const* - to achieve the expected result, even if I have to implement my personal "utils" methods to work with those pointers now...

Upvotes: 0

Zac Howland

Reputation: 15870

Part of your problem is here:

ListNode(T item)
{
    mItem = item; // for a std::string, this will be a class member, non-pointer
    mNext = NULL;
    mPrev = NULL;
}

ListNode(T item, ListNode<T>* next, ListNode<T>* prev)
{
    mItem = item; // same here
    mNext = next;
    mPrev = prev;
}


~ListNode()
{
    delete &mItem; // you are attempting to delete an item you never created
}

You should either change your constructors to create a T* object on the heap (which will then be deleted in your destructor), or remove the delete line from your destructor.

This problem will be evident with far more than just std::string, by the way.

Upvotes: 5

user2093113

Reputation: 3560

Somewhere in your program you are doing this:

std::string s(nullptr);

Calling std::string's constructor with a null pointer is causing it to throw a std::logic_error exception.

From the standard:

§ 21.4.2

basic_string(const charT* s, size_type n, const Allocator& a = Allocator());

Requires: s shall not be a null pointer and n < npos.

Upvotes: 3

C++ custom template LinkedList crashes adding std::string

Answers (3)

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