Thread: Do I need to delete dynamic memory before leaving a function

If you're sure that the library won't require the abject later on, deleting it is fine.
You could also use smart pointers...which will automatically destroy it when not needed.

I just found out experimentally that if I try to delete it just before I leave the function, I get a segmentation fault. This fault happens after the last line of the function and before the first line the main after calling the function. It seems that I cannot delete it without problems but that would seem to contradict what i have read about dynamically allocated memory and deleting.

@manasij7479 What is a smart pointer? How would you implement one?

Originally Posted by njitram2000

I just found out experimentally that if I try to delete it just before I leave the function, I get a segmentation fault. This fault happens after the last line of the function and before the first line the main after calling the function. It seems that I cannot delete it without problems but that would seem to contradict what i have read about dynamically allocated memory and deleting.

That just means that it is needed afterwards.

@manasij7479 What is a smart pointer? How would you implement one?

I've never implemented one...but a popular way is using reference counting.(Google the term)
But unless you're sure that you can do better, stick with the ones provided by the C++ standard.
Smart pointer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia