Thread: sprintf crashing my prog?

  1. #1
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    sprintf crashing my prog?

    Ive used sprintf plenty of times, but here im useing it the the
    argv[] array in a console prog.

    char * texname;

    int main(int argc, char **argv) {
    if(argc < 2) {
    cout << "You must specify the index\n";
    exit(0);
    }
    sprintf(texname,"%s.jpg",argv[1]); //Crahs here


    Im useing a simple .bat file to launch the prog, something like this

    program.exe 0

    It just crashes on that one line everytime.

  2. #2
    the hat of redundancy hat nvoigt's Avatar
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    uhm... you are writing to a pointer without memory allocated.
    hth
    -nv

    She was so Blonde, she spent 20 minutes looking at the orange juice can because it said "Concentrate."

    When in doubt, read the FAQ.
    Then ask a smart question.

  3. #3
    Registered User Hoxu's Avatar
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    texname = new char[80];

  4. #4
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    Thats probably why im haveing problems in my big prog, It could be attributed to memory overwrites.

    is there something i can use in place of char* or can you show me how to use it correctly.

    Given this function body.

    char* string = "";
    switch(game.mode) {
    case MODE_MENU:
    menu.Draw(mode);
    if(game.debug) sprintf(string, "MENU %i", glh.fps);
    break;
    if(game.debug) gui.Printl(1,string,7,-4.8,4.5);

    how can i allocate the pointer, and then deallocate it when i close the prog.

    I have 40+ source files, I do have a user defined exit function i can use. What im getting at is that i need to be able to delete a pointer in one source file that is created in a different one.

  5. #5
    of Zen Hall zen's Avatar
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    You could either allocate the memory dynamically like Hoxu has shown or use a static char array that you think will be long enough -

    char string[256];

    otherwise -

    char* string;
    //to allocate
    string = new char[strlen(glh.fps)+1];
    //to deallocate
    delete [] string;
    zen

  6. #6
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    It is my understanding that memory allocated with the new operator is not affected by scope like variables declared with static memory are. Therefore memory allocated by new in one function can be deallocated in a different function.

    void function1()
    {
    char * word = new char[80];
    strcpy(word, "Jim Dandy");
    function2(word);
    }

    void function2(char *)
    {
    cout << word;
    delete [] word;
    word = NULL;
    }

    I hope I understood your question correctly.

  7. #7
    Skunkmeister Stoned_Coder's Avatar
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    The memory isn't but the pointer to that allocated memory is still affected by scope.If that pointer is lost then you cant delete the memory and you get a memory leak.
    Free the weed!! Class B to class C is not good enough!!
    And the FAQ is here :- http://faq.cprogramming.com/cgi-bin/smartfaq.cgi

  8. #8
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    Which } does the compiler see first in the following sequence?

    void function1()
    {
    char * word = new char[80];
    strcpy(word, "Jim Dandy");
    function2(word);
    } //first }

    void function2(char * Word)
    {
    cout << Word;
    delete [] Word;
    Word = NULL;
    } //second }

    It is my understanding that function2 needs to be completed and that the compiler actually sees the second } before it sees the first }, therefore char * word (aka Word) doesn't go out of scope until after the memory has been deleted, and therefore there is no memory leak, correct?

  9. #9
    of Zen Hall zen's Avatar
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    It is my understanding that function2 needs to be completed and that the compiler actually sees the second } before it sees the first }, therefore char * word (aka Word) doesn't go out of scope until after the memory has been deleted, and therefore there is no memory leak, correct?
    Yes, there wouldn't be a memory leak. However, setting Word to NULL in function2,will have no affect on the pointer in function1, as function2 will get a local copy. word in function1 will still point to the deleted memory.
    zen

  10. #10
    Registered User Hoxu's Avatar
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    Originally posted by zen
    //to deallocate
    delete [] string;
    what for does that "[]" stand for?

  11. #11
    Skunkmeister Stoned_Coder's Avatar
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    when you use new to allocate memory for an object you must free that memory with delete.
    when you use new[] to allocate memory for an array of objects then you must correspondingly use delete[] to free the memory.
    If you use pObject= new object[10] and then free it like this... delete pObject. Then you have a memory leak. An array of 10 objects was defined yet the delete only called a destructor for the first element of that array. Correctly freeing that memory looks like this... delete[] pObject . Now delete knows that it is freeing an array of objects rather than just one.
    Free the weed!! Class B to class C is not good enough!!
    And the FAQ is here :- http://faq.cprogramming.com/cgi-bin/smartfaq.cgi

  12. #12
    Registered User Hoxu's Avatar
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    Ok, thanks

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