char* dynamic strings - the right way

[drj0nson]

What is the right way of creating a string/char array and assigning to
a char* which is then used in a function call. Thought it would be
quite nice to avoid a memory leakage /core dump.

1 Header with char* x

2 Class includes header

3 In Class member function I want to :
a)conditionally create a string ie populate x
b)pass (populated) x on as a function parameter.

What is the right way of doing this for :
i) assigning string variable
ii) assigning a literal.

i) Since it's a conditional create I guess it is not a good idea to use
malloc or new.

ii) Is it ok to just have x = "some string";

[John Harrison]

dr******@gmail. com wrote:

What is the right way of creating a string/char array and assigning to
a char* which is then used in a function call. Thought it would be
quite nice to avoid a memory leakage /core dump.
The right way, the easy way is to use std::string.

1 Header with char* x

2 Class includes header

3 In Class member function I want to :
a)conditionally create a string ie populate x
b)pass (populated) x on as a function parameter.

What is the right way of doing this for :
i) assigning string variable
ii) assigning a literal.

i) Since it's a conditional create I guess it is not a good idea to use
malloc or new.

ii) Is it ok to just have x = "some string";

I think you need to post the actual code you have written, it quite hard
to work out exactly what you mean, and if you really want to do it this
way then the details matter. But as I said the easy way is to drop char*
and use std::string instead.

std::string x;

x = "some string";
some_function(x );

What could be easier? No memory leaks, no core dumps.

john

[drj0nson]

John Harrison wrote:

dr******@gmail. com wrote:

What is the right way of creating a string/char array and assigning to
a char* which is then used in a function call. Thought it would be
quite nice to avoid a memory leakage /core dump.

The right way, the easy way is to use std::string.

1 Header with char* x

2 Class includes header

3 In Class member function I want to :
a)conditionally create a string ie populate x
b)pass (populated) x on as a function parameter.

What is the right way of doing this for :
i) assigning string variable
ii) assigning a literal.

i) Since it's a conditional create I guess it is not a good idea to use
malloc or new.

ii) Is it ok to just have x = "some string";

I think you need to post the actual code you have written, it quite hard
to work out exactly what you mean, and if you really want to do it this
way then the details matter. But as I said the easy way is to drop char*
and use std::string instead.

std::string x;

x = "some string";
some_function(x );

What could be easier? No memory leaks, no core dumps.

john

Dealing with existing code i.e.starting point is that I have a char*
and wish to either populate this in different ways : may call a func
that returns a char* or may wish to assign a string literal. So.

x = f(); being char* f() {...
x = "some string";

First though was to malloc/new to size of string/char array but it is
conditional as to whethr x gets populated.

[peter koch]

dr******@gmail. com skrev:

John Harrison wrote:

dr******@gmail. com wrote:

What is the right way of creating a string/char array and assigning to
a char* which is then used in a function call. Thought it would be
quite nice to avoid a memory leakage /core dump.

The right way, the easy way is to use std::string.

[snip] std::string x;

x = "some string";
some_function(x );

What could be easier? No memory leaks, no core dumps.

john

Dealing with existing code i.e.starting point is that I have a char*
and wish to either populate this in different ways : may call a func
that returns a char* or may wish to assign a string literal. So.

x = f(); being char* f() {...
x = "some string";

First though was to malloc/new to size of string/char array but it is
conditional as to whethr x gets populated.

The easy way still is to use std::string. You really can't rely on
functions returning char* unless you really know what is going on
inside. You do not know how much memory (if any) has been allocated for
the array, you don't know if you have to free the pointer and you do
not know how to free it. Just start using std::string and encapsulate
your existing code (or rewrite it, if that is easier).

/Peter

[John Harrison]

dr******@gmail. com wrote:

John Harrison wrote:

dr******@gmai l.com wrote:

What is the right way of creating a string/char array and assigning to
a char* which is then used in a function call. Thought it would be
quite nice to avoid a memory leakage /core dump.

The right way, the easy way is to use std::string.

1 Header with char* x

2 Class includes header

3 In Class member function I want to :
a)conditiona lly create a string ie populate x
b)pass (populated) x on as a function parameter.

What is the right way of doing this for :
i) assigning string variable
ii) assigning a literal.

i) Since it's a conditional create I guess it is not a good idea to use
malloc or new.

ii) Is it ok to just have x = "some string";

I think you need to post the actual code you have written, it quite hard
to work out exactly what you mean, and if you really want to do it this
way then the details matter. But as I said the easy way is to drop char*
and use std::string instead.

std::string x;

x = "some string";
some_function (x);

What could be easier? No memory leaks, no core dumps.

john

Dealing with existing code i.e.starting point is that I have a char*
and wish to either populate this in different ways : may call a func
that returns a char* or may wish to assign a string literal. So.

x = f(); being char* f() {...
x = "some string";

First though was to malloc/new to size of string/char array but it is
conditional as to whethr x gets populated.

Whose responsibility is it to free the memory returned from f()?

Still dont see why you can't ise std::string

std::string x;

if (something)
x = f();
else
x = "some string";

john

[Eckhard Lehmann]

dr******@gmail. com schrieb:

What is the right way of creating a string/char array and assigning to
a char* which is then used in a function call. Thought it would be
First of all, remember: char* is a _pointer_ to a char.
Not a string, not an array or anything else goofy. Just a pointer.
quite nice to avoid a memory leakage /core dump.
If you want to use char*, memory management is up to you. However, if
you use functions that return char*, you may rely on the fact, that the
memory is properly allocated there.

1 Header with char* x

2 Class includes header

3 In Class member function I want to :
a)conditionally create a string ie populate x
b)pass (populated) x on as a function parameter.

What is the right way of doing this for :
i) assigning string variable
ii) assigning a literal.

i) Since it's a conditional create I guess it is not a good idea to use
malloc or new.

ii) Is it ok to just have x = "some string";

What is the problem here? Hard to figure out what you mean, can you post
any code?
Eckhard

[drj0nson]

Eckhard Lehmann wrote:

dr******@gmail. com schrieb:

What is the right way of creating a string/char array and assigning to
a char* which is then used in a function call. Thought it would be

First of all, remember: char* is a _pointer_ to a char.
Not a string, not an array or anything else goofy. Just a pointer.

quite nice to avoid a memory leakage /core dump.

If you want to use char*, memory management is up to you. However, if
you use functions that return char*, you may rely on the fact, that the
memory is properly allocated there.

1 Header with char* x

2 Class includes header

3 In Class member function I want to :
a)conditionally create a string ie populate x
b)pass (populated) x on as a function parameter.

What is the right way of doing this for :
i) assigning string variable
ii) assigning a literal.

i) Since it's a conditional create I guess it is not a good idea to use
malloc or new.

ii) Is it ok to just have x = "some string";

What is the problem here? Hard to figure out what you mean, can you post
any code?
Eckhard

Ok here is some code but in other places I would deal with char* /
char[] and not a string.

void f2(string &s)
{
s="qwerty";
}

void f1(myStruct &ms)
{
string s;

f2(s);
// Error 203: # Cannot assign 'char *' with 'const char *'.
//ms.cp = s.c_str();

ms.cp = (char*)s.c_str( );
}
int main () {
myStruct mystruct;

f1(mystruct);
cout << mystruct.cp << endl;
return 0;
}

Note:
1) am stuck with using a char* - non-negotiable.
2) That I get Error 203 and need to cast seems to indicate this isn't
the correct way.
3) I did wonder if the s.c_str() would go out of scope leaving f1()
i.e. is this dangerous?
4) I would have thought it would be best to allocate memory to the
char* in main() but at that point the string size is unknown.

Sorry for the delay in responding.

[Ron Natalie]

dr******@gmail. com wrote:

2) That I get Error 203 and need to cast seems to indicate this isn't
the correct way.
Do you know what const means?
3) I did wonder if the s.c_str() would go out of scope leaving f1()
i.e. is this dangerous?
The return of c_str() ceases to be valid when a non-const method
(including the destructor) is run on the object.
4) I would have thought it would be best to allocate memory to the
char* in main() but at that point the string size is unknown.

So how would you do it?

[drj0nson]

I do not know the correct way of doing this - that is why I am posting
here!

1. You have a char *
2. You need to go off and populate this with a string or char array but
you do not know the size of the string., so....
3. string seems to be 'the' way of doing this but
a) c_str() returns a const and needs casting using char*
b) although the c_str() casting works and it is possible to print
the string out later - is this a case of something that will work
but not always?

[John Harrison]

dr******@gmail. com wrote:

I do not know the correct way of doing this - that is why I am posting
here!

1. You have a char *
2. You need to go off and populate this with a string or char array but
you do not know the size of the string., so....
3. string seems to be 'the' way of doing this but
a) c_str() returns a const and needs casting using char*
b) although the c_str() casting works and it is possible to print
the string out later - is this a case of something that will work
but not always?

You need to allocate memory

string s = "qwerty";
char* ptr = new char[s.size() + 1];
strcpy(ptr, s.c_str());
....
// sometime later when you are done
delete[] ptr;

It's because of this mess (particularly the need to delete[]) that you
should use strings instead of char, if you possibly can.

john