Re: noob question - destructors - freeing memory... POSSIBLE SOLUTION FOUND?

From:
LR <lruss@superlink.net>
Newsgroups:
comp.lang.c++
Date:
Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:47:13 -0500
Message-ID:
<4f020923$0$11917$cc2e38e6@news.uslec.net>
someone wrote:

On 01/02/2012 03:11 AM, LR wrote:

someone wrote:

On 01/01/2012 10:03 AM, Juha Nieminen wrote:

someone<newsboost@gmail.com> wrote:


I think std::vector is a little easier to deal with.


Maybe... I'm just a little bit stupid and afraid. So...


Try it.

--- main.cpp ---
drawableObj allObjs; // must be global!

int main(int argc, char** argv)
{
   drawableObj *testGearPtr =
    new gearClass( .... ); // rotSpeed etc, etc... bla.bla

   drawableObj *testGearPtr2 =
    new gearClass( .... ); // rotSpeed etc, etc... bla.bla

If you have a global allObjs, how do these pointers make their way into
that object?

   // ******* OpenGL starting... *******
   glutInit(&argc, argv);
   .... bla bla...

   glutMainLoop(); // exits directly to OS from here...

   return(0); // never comes here - just to satisfy compiler...


Odd, because it shouldn't be required at all.

class drawableObj
{
  // private: // protected: // I don't have anything here

  public:
   // global+static pointer to all GRAPHICAL objs:
   static vector<drawableObj*> pObjs;


Why is this static? Why not just make it a member class?

   drawableObj(); // constructor

   // destructor
   virtual ~drawableObj();

   // member functions
   virtual void draw(); // <---used in openGL display loop
   void showNumObjs();
   void test();
};

class gearClass : public drawableObj

Ok, now I'm confused. Is drawableObj some sort of polymorphic base
class, or is it a container for a whole bunch of objects.

{
private:

public:
   bool memAllocated; // IMPORTANT TO KNOW IF DELETE HAS BEEN CALLED

Use std::vector and this problem doesn't arise.

#include "gearClass.h" // for knowing "gearClass"-type

// NOT SURE ABOUT THIS, BUT COMPILER COMPLAINS IF NOT "EXTERN"...
extern vector<drawableObj*> drawableObj::pObjs;


Coupling your class with an external object made elsewhere probably
limits the utility of the class.

drawableObj::~drawableObj() // destructor

          if ( ((gearClass*) drawableObj::pObjs[z])->memAllocated )
           delete ((gearClass*) drawableObj::pObjs[z]);
Or use a shared pointer and avoid this.

--- gearClass.cpp ---
gearClass::gearClass() // constructor
{
   drawableObj::pObjs.push_back((gearClass*) this); // ISN'T THIS NICE ??
   ... bla bla...


No. I don't think so. Using a global like this seems like a bad idea.
 I think it's better to decouple things.

======== that was possible solution, please give some input ========

Final remarks:


I snipped a lot and just hit a few points. I think what you're doing is
asking for trouble.

FWIW, here's my suggestion. Most of it is just trace so you can see
what's going on. I consider this to be a snippet. For example, it would
be a better idea to put the classes and implementations in header and
source files.

You might want to try creating a new project, copying the code, and
seeing what happens.

-----------------------
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <vector>
#include <memory>

class DrawObjectBase {
public:
    DrawObjectBase() {
        std::cout << "DrawObjectBase(" << this << ")" << std::endl;
    }
    virtual ~DrawObjectBase() {
        std::cout << "~DrawObjectBase(" << this << ")" << std::endl;
    }
    virtual void draw(const std::string &someParameter) const {
        std::cout
            << "DrawObjectBase::draw("
            << this
            << ","
            << someParameter
            << ")"
            << std::endl;
    }
};

class Star : public DrawObjectBase {
public:
    Star()
        :
    DrawObjectBase()
    {
        std::cout << "Star(" << this << ")" << std::endl;
    }
    ~Star() {
        std::cout << "~Star(" << this << ")" << std::endl;
    }
    void draw(const std::string &s) const {
        std::cout << "Star::draw(" << this << "," << s << ")" << std::endl;
    }
};

class Planet : public DrawObjectBase {
public:
    Planet()
        :
    DrawObjectBase()
    {
        std::cout << "Planet(" << this << ")" << std::endl;
    }
    ~Planet() {
        std::cout << "~Planet(" << this << ")" << std::endl;
    }
    void draw(const std::string &s) const {
        std::cout
            << "Planet::draw(" << this << "," << s << ")" << std::endl;
    }
};

class DrawObjects {
    // this isn't the best way to do this,
    // just an example.
    // a point of departure, not a destination.
public:
    // maybe these typedefs should be classes on their own
    typedef
        std::tr1::shared_ptr<DrawObjectBase> DrawObjectBaseContainer;
    typedef std::vector<DrawObjectBaseContainer> DrawObjectsContainer;
    DrawObjectsContainer objects; // public isn't great here...
public:
    DrawObjects() : objects() {} // or howver many you need.
    void add(const DrawObjectBaseContainer &d) {
        objects.push_back(DrawObjectBaseContainer(d));
    }
    void draw(const std::string &someParameter) const {
        for(DrawObjectsContainer::const_iterator
            i=objects.begin();
                i!=objects.end();
                    i++) {
            i->get()->draw(someParameter);
        }
    }
};

DrawObjects ourGlobalObjects;

void f() {

    ourGlobalObjects
        .add(DrawObjects::DrawObjectBaseContainer(new Star()));
    ourGlobalObjects
        .add(DrawObjects::DrawObjectBaseContainer(new Planet()));
    ourGlobalObjects
        .add(DrawObjects::DrawObjectBaseContainer(new Planet()));

    ourGlobalObjects.draw("Draw Once");
    ourGlobalObjects.draw("Draw Again");
}

int main() {
    f();
    exit(0); // because....
}

-------------------------------------------

And the output is,

DrawObjectBase(00345768)
Star(00345768)
DrawObjectBase(003468B8)
Planet(003468B8)
DrawObjectBase(00346880)
Planet(00346880)
Star::draw(00345768,Draw Once)
Planet::draw(003468B8,Draw Once)
Planet::draw(00346880,Draw Once)
Star::draw(00345768,Draw Again)
Planet::draw(003468B8,Draw Again)
Planet::draw(00346880,Draw Again)
~Star(00345768)
~DrawObjectBase(00345768)
~Planet(003468B8)
~DrawObjectBase(003468B8)
~Planet(00346880)
~DrawObjectBase(00346880)
----------------------------------

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