TITLE: A function to delete p and set to null?


PROBLEM: JeffreyMC <jeffreymc@aol.com>

Is there a way to verify that a pointer has been 'free'd or 'delete'd
properly after making the deallocation call?


RESPONSE: timd@Starbase.NeoSoft.COM (Loki)

Yeah...try this:

   delete ptr;
   ptr = NULL;


RESPONSE: p j l @graceland.att.com (Paul J. Lucas), 30 May 95


In real life, that is a useless suggestion.  Example:

	void f( T *p ) {
		delete p;
		p = 0;		// useless: sets local only
	}

	main() {
		T *p = new T;
		f( p );
		// p is non-null, yet the object has been deleted
	}

Also:

	T *const p = new T;
	// ...
	delete p;
	p = 0;			// illegal: const pointer

and:

	T *f();

	main() {
		// ...
		delete f();
		f() = 0;	// illegal
	}

I could go on...