I have written a small console application with this structure:
If I close the application, will the memory be deallocated? More precisely: will my code that deals with deallocating the memory be executed, or will the OS (WindowsXP) handle this for me? What is the 'correct' way to deal with a this (a loop that should run untill the application is closed)?Code:int main() { AllocateSomeMemory(); while(1) { Sleep(30); DoSomeThings(); } DeallocateSomeMemory(); }
If I remember rightly all the memory is freed up after the program closes, it is just if you reallocate before deallocating then you cause a memory leak. I think I right though, I am not 100% sure.
You are correct bumfluff. The thing to watch for is pointer allocations on program close.
If for example you allocate a pointer variable space on the heap using "new" then you MUST call "delete" before the return 0 statement to ensure the memory is freed once more. You can if then wish assign that pointer to NULL to deter any possible memory leak, but that is a preference not an absolute.
As a side note, any allocations I do with new are deleted and NULLED out of habit.
Double Helix STL
http://c-faq.com/malloc/freeb4exit.html
Having said that, it's good practice to try and make your program leak-free from the outset.
> What is the 'correct' way to deal with a this (a loop that should run untill the application is closed)?
Write it as a windows application (with a winmain() and a message loop), and respond to the WM_CLOSE event in the appropriate manner.
Or have something like
while ( !done )
rather than
while ( 1 )
and a mechanism somewhere in your code to set that flag at the end of the program.
If you dance barefoot on the broken glass of undefined behaviour, you've got to expect the occasional cut.
If at first you don't succeed, try writing your phone number on the exam paper.
Thanks.
So it's only possible to let my code react to the close event in a windows application. I'll have to learn about that then.
MS-Windows specific: console program can call _onexit() to install an event handler which is supposed to get called whenever the program terminates for whatever reason.
Sorry to interject, but:
Is there any mechanism to release memory when a program crashes, or is it lost until the os reboots?
Do Windows, Linux, OS X differ in this regard?
isn't there a standard atexit function?Originally Posted by Ancient Dragon
> Do Windows, Linux, OS X differ in this regard?
Like my link said, all good operating systems free all the memory associated with a process when that process dies - for whatever reason.
The OS will simply deallocate all the virtual memory associated with the process.
If you dance barefoot on the broken glass of undefined behaviour, you've got to expect the occasional cut.
If at first you don't succeed, try writing your phone number on the exam paper.
Thanks, Salem. I didn't notice the link.
Guess it was too red...
