Substituting for malloc() in C++

[arnaudk]

I am using a C library which has a function that requires a buffer initiallized thus:

void* zipBuffer = (void*)malloc(size_buf);
 

How do I initialize zipBuffer using new() in C++, would this work?

void* zipBuffer = new void[size_buf];
 

[Laharl]

C++ doesn't let you declare void arrays. Instead, create a char array of size_buf elements, which will be the same size, and cast it to void*. Other than that, your code is correct.

[arnaudk]

Indeed,

void* zipBuffer = static_cast<void*>(new char[size_buf])
 

works. Thanks for the advice.

[weaknessforcats]

If you insist on void* (Big C++ no-no) and casting (Big C++ no-no) use C.

What you are presenting is a C solution and you should use C for C solutions.

Why do you need this approach?

[arnaudk]

Thanks,
I don't normally use pointers to void in C++, however in this case I am using a C library for extracting zipfiles which requires an extraction buffer that is allocated using malloc(). For details, see this thread, although the code I put there has changed quite a bit.