Thread: How do you delete an STL map<long,class *>

  1. #1
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    How do you delete an STL map<long,class *>

    New to STL. Still trying to get a handle on the right way to use it.

    I have a map storing pointers to other objects:
    Code:
    class EwMultiTrace: public map<unsigned long, EwTrace*>
    What is the correct way to make sure all the elements of the map are deleted?
    Will the map call "delete()" for each stored element?
    Do I have to delete each element manually?
    If so, how to do that?
    Code:
    EwMultiTrace::~EwMultiTrace (void)
    {
    	EwMultiTrace::iterator item;
    
    	for (item = this->begin(); item != this->end(); item++)
    	{
    		EwTrace *trace = item->second;
    		delete trace;
    	}
    	clear ();
    }
    ... this does not work. Removing elements from underneath the iterator creates memory faults.
    maps have no "front()" to feed you the first element until empty.

    What's the right way to go?

  2. #2
    Guest Sebastiani's Avatar
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    First off, your code is sound. Remember that each element is an std::pair - destroying the contents of pair::second has no effect on the pair container itself (nor the iterator). If you are having a problem, it is somewhere else in the code.

    Also, note that a map is not generally used to store dynamic data for which it is responsible for, since it is a 'lookup' container. There are other containers that are much more useful for general purpose storage. Just a sidenote.
    Code:
    #include <cmath>
    #include <complex>
    bool euler_flip(bool value)
    {
        return std::pow
        (
            std::complex<float>(std::exp(1.0)), 
            std::complex<float>(0, 1) 
            * std::complex<float>(std::atan(1.0)
            *(1 << (value + 2)))
        ).real() < 0;
    }

  3. #3
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    Check out boost::shared_ptr for your needs. I tend to discourage containers of "dumb" pointers, in favor of containers of smart ones.

    Nonetheless, your code is sound; if you get a crash, perhaps it is because:

    a) You have multiple pointers that reference the same object, so it's being deleted many times, or
    b) You are deleteing pointer not allocated by new, or
    c) You are dereferencing a pointer after it is deleted.
    You ever try a pink golf ball, Wally? Why, the wind shear on a pink ball alone can take the head clean off a 90 pound midget at 300 yards.

  4. #4
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    Thanks for the replies.
    I'm back into C++ programming after 3 years in the world of Java, so I'm re-orienting myself with the tricks of the language.

    I am using the map as a lookup table... its elements are lists. The map helps choose which list to append a sub-element into.

    Maybe the map could be simplified to hold a key and Arraynumber, linking to an array of lists.... more complicated than needed. This works.

    Smart Pointers? auto-pointers? New things to me and I will research them.

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