memory leak

[GJ]

Hi,

Can we trace a memory leak in a C++ program without using any specific tools
like purifier.

 

[Alf P. Steinbach]

* GJ:

Can we trace a memory leak in a C++ program without using any specific tools
like purifier.

It's a lot easier to use appropriate tools, so why not?

Otherwise you'll have to instrument your whole application, i.e. recompile
with 'new' replaced with something that keeps track of where and when. A
simple replacement of global operator new can't do that because it doesn't
know. So we're then talking about e.g. #define new as something else, as was
done in e.g. old MFC (with disastrous consequences, they forgot to redefine
delete accordingly, which meant a debug build would leak memory if any
constructor threw an exception).

 

[mlimber]

* GJ:

It's a lot easier to use appropriate tools, so why not?

Otherwise you'll have to instrument your whole application, i.e. recompile
with 'new' replaced with something that keeps track of where and when. A
simple replacement of global operator new can't do that because it doesn't
know. So we're then talking about e.g. #define new as something else, as was
done in e.g. old MFC (with disastrous consequences, they forgot to redefine
delete accordingly, which meant a debug build would leak memory if any
constructor threw an exception).

Alf, Could you please define "old MFC" in terms of Visual C++ version?

Cheers! --M