Syntax of delete operator

[bintom]

Why is the [ ] while freeing dynamically allocated memory with the
delete operator before the pointer name and not after, as when using
the new operator ?

type* ptrName; // --> declaration of pointer
ptrName = new type [SIZE];
delete [] ptrName;

 

[Alf P. Steinbach]

* bintom:

Why is the [ ] while freeing dynamically allocated memory with the
delete operator before the pointer name and not after, as when using
the new operator ?

type* ptrName; // --> declaration of pointer
ptrName = new type [SIZE];
delete [] ptrName;

"type[SIZE]" is a type.

"ptrName[]" would be a syntactically invalid indexing expression (lacking the
index).

Consider:

typedef int* IntPtr;
IntPtr x[5];

x[3] = new int[20];
...
delete[] x[3];

versus in the last line having to write

delete x[3][]; // Looks like a double indexing.


Cheers, & hth.,

- Alf

 

[bintom]

Is there any reason why

delete x[];

wouldn't have worked? I'm trying to figure why Stroustrup opted for

delete []x;

instead.

Thanks in advance,
- Bintom

 

[jacob navia]

There is probably more about this in D&E.

V

Excuse the stupid question but what is "D&E" ?

Thanks

 

[Thomas J. Gritzan]

Excuse the stupid question but what is "D&E" ?

The Design and Evolution of C++, Bjarne Stroustrup

http://www.research.att.com/~bs/dne.html

 

[Bo Persson]

Excuse the stupid question but what is "D&E" ?

A book - "The Design and Evolution of C++"

http://www.research.att.com/~bs/dne.html



Bo Persson