Question about delete

Hi, I am trying to implement a priority queue (minheap) using pointers and a struct for my nodes for an assignment and I was wondering about something. My class supports a function deleteMin() which basically gets the root address which I have stored and deletes the data and key and replaces them with those of the last node on the tree and then rearranges the tree from top to bottom with comparisons. My question is this: As far the last node is concerned from which I took the data I change the pointer of its father to him to NULL so basically that node is disconnected from the tree. However that memory is not freed, right? It's still associated with the program? If it is I was wondering how I can free it so that memory address can be used in the future. I was thinking to use the command delete [pointer to ex-last node] but this will just erase the pointer, right?

I apologise for being so confusing

example of code

Code:

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/*lst is a ponter to struct node and currently points to the last most right node of the tree*/

setLstNode(lst->father->l_ch);  //Function assigns the new last node to be the right child
                                                  //of the father of the ex-last node
lst->father->r_ch=NULL;          //assigning NULL to right child of father
delete lst;                                //This probably doesnt do a thing right?

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More like:

Code:

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node* temp = lst->father->r_ch; // temp points to the last node
setLstNode(lst->father->l_ch);  // set the new last node
delete temp;                    // deallocate memory for former last node

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hmm thanks. After this that address contains random data so it must work, however I still need

lst->father->r_ch=NULL;

because I use the fact if it has a null pointer when going through the tree from top to bottom...
By the way cant I just delete lst then , I mean both lst and temp show to the same address...
Anyway thanks laserlight.

Sorry, I am more familiar with the array implementation of min/max heaps.

Quote:

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By the way cant I just delete lst then , I mean both lst and temp show to the same address...

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lst points to your min node, right? If you delete lst, then lst->father is invalid. It may still exist in memory, but you can no longer reach it from lst. As such, you should save a pointer to the min node in a temporary, and then delete it when you are ready.

Aha, okay. Thanks a lot...