Re: memory leakages with Ada?

["Pat Rogers" <progers@classwide.com>]

"Will" <wv9557@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:4a885870.0203152036.37c68e91@posting.google.com...
> "Pat Rogers" <progers@classwide.com> wrote in message news:<Xamk8.66050$>
> > Although there are several things I really like about C++, one of the things
> > that I find shocking is that the programmer must remember to use a very
slightly
> > different syntax when calling delete on an allocated array, and that the
other
> > syntax will also compile and run -- and at the very least leak.  (I
understand
> > the reason for this, don't bother to explain why; it still stinks!)  That
isn't
> > the only such example, of course, but one that I find amazing.
> >
> > For example, the following is perfectly legal and wrong :
> >
> > char* p = new char[n];
> > delete p;
> >
> > I have to remember to say:
> >
> > delete[] p;
>
> Well, I remember Mr Stroustrup saying something to the effect that this is to
> ease the job of the compiler writer. Looks to me more like a marketing
decision
> than a technical one.

The reason is in fact technical.  C++ cannot distinguish a single item from an
array of them, so we have to tell the poor compiler which.  Imagine what happens
if p really does *not* designate an array...  :-)

> > I'm not saying Ada is perfect, so let's nobody start the language wars
please,
> > but Ada is clearly better in this regard.
>
> If I am paranoid about leaks, I would have used LISP :)

:-)