MSVC 2003: ctor-try-block error: possible compiler bug

From:
"Kirill Sukhonosenko" <ksukhonosenko@yandex.ru>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++.moderated
Date:
27 Sep 2006 08:51:28 -0400
Message-ID:
<1159308412.147637.200080@d34g2000cwd.googlegroups.com>
Hi!

I face a problem in my production code. I could deduce this problem to
program shown below. It seems, that try-block in constructor doesnt
work as it should (compared to case where no try block exists at all).
I tested this small program on my MSVC .NET Pro 2003 (and separately on
PC with MSVC2003 SP1 installed). In both cases I experienced the same
behaviour - access violation. Please see comment inside the program
body. To get this sample work - just comment out try block in ctor.

Have anyone faced such behaviour before? Is there known workarounds?
Thanks.
----
// ref_count.cpp : ctor try block invalid behaviour test

// if ctor uses try block (X::X), program crashes, trying to
dereferencing danglig pointer
// If try block is disabled, everything goes fine.

// I experienced this problem in my production code which used
boost::intrusive_ptr class.
// I wrote similar class (CountingPtr) for simplicty's sake (and to
kill dependencies) and results are the same - program crashes

// tested on compilers: MS VS.NET 2003 (both original & SP1)

#include <iostream>
#include <cassert>

using namespace std;

struct IRefCounted
{
    virtual void addRef() = 0;
    virtual void release() = 0;

    virtual ~IRefCounted() {};
};

struct ILogger : public IRefCounted
{
    void virtual write(const char * text) = 0;
};

class Logger : public ILogger
{
    int m_ref;
    ~Logger(){}
public:
    Logger() : m_ref(0)
    {
    }

    void addRef()
    {
        m_ref++;
    }

    void release()
    {
        if(--m_ref == 0)
            delete this;
    }

    void write(const char * text)
    {
        cout << text << endl;
    }
};

template<typename T>
class CountingPtr
{
    T * m_t;

public:
    CountingPtr(T * t, bool addRef = true) : m_t(t)
    {
        assert(t!=0);
        if(addRef)
            t->addRef();
    }

    ~CountingPtr()
    {
        if(m_t)
            m_t->release();
    }

    CountingPtr&operator=(const CountingPtr & rhs)
    {
        if(this == &rhs)
            assert(false);
        else
        {
            m_t = rhs.m_t;
            m_t->addRef();

        }
        return *this;
    }

    T * operator->()
    {
        return m_t;
    }

    CountingPtr(const CountingPtr & rhs)
    {
        *this = rhs;
    }
};

typedef CountingPtr<ILogger> CLoggerPtr;

void use(CLoggerPtr logger)
{
    logger->write("use");
}

class Loggable
{
public:
    Loggable(CLoggerPtr logger) : m_logger(logger)
    {}

private:
    CLoggerPtr m_logger;
};

class X : public Loggable
{
public:
    X(CLoggerPtr logger)
        try : Loggable(logger) // comment try
block out to
get working code!
    {}
    catch(std::runtime_error & )
    {
        throw;
    };
};

int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
    try
    {
        CLoggerPtr logger(new Logger());
        use(logger);

        {
            X y1(logger); // THIS line decrements ref counter by
2 in case try
block is active
        }

        {
            X y2(logger); // OOPS IS HERE! If try block is in
act, program tries
to reference dangling pointer
        }

        return 0;
    }
    catch(exception & ex)
    {
        cout << "Exception: " << ex.what() << endl;
        return EXIT_FAILURE;
    }
    catch(...)
    {
        cout << "(...) exception" << endl;
        return EXIT_FAILURE;
    }
}

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