Newbie Q: returning objects from the freestore

[Scott]

Can you have as a return value for a function an object that has been
created on the free store? Seems like returning a pointer is the only thing
that could do this.
Thanks.

 

[Moonlit]

Hi,

Can you have as a return value for a function an object that has been
created on the free store? Seems like returning a pointer is the only thing
that could do this.

Nope, a reference can be used (of course internally this is the same thing
as a pointer although some people don't want you to say this).

class CObject
{
};

CObject& func()
{
return *new CObject;
}
int main()
{
CObject& Object = func();

delete &Object;

return 0;
}


But it certainly isn't good programming practice. It works but should look
like this.

class CObject
{
};

CObject* func()
{
return new CObject;
}
int main()
{
CObject *Object = func();

delete Object;

return 0;
}

Thanks.

And that's pointer of course.

Regards, Ron AF Greve.

 

[Scott]

Right, so the reference can be done, but isn't recommended, and the pointer
works fine in my program. But returning the object from the free store just
isn't done.

Scott

 

[Moonlit]

Hi,

Yes, you can only use a pointer (and reference), when dynamically allocated.
The other method would be to not allocate on the free store and return the
object, however then a copy is made.

CObject func()
{
CObject Object;
return Object;
}

int main()
{
CObject Object = func(); // Copies the object from the function
}

Regards, Ron AF Greve.

 

[Scott]

Thanks Moonlit:

I have better answers from you than from 3 reference works I've been pouring
through. I really appreciate the code samples as well.

Scott