C++ for Java Programmers - College of Engineering.pptVIP

Ch 4. Memory Management Timothy Budd Oregon State University Memory Management Java : background memory management Advantage: allowing programmer to concentrate on more application specific details Disadvantage: programmer has little control over how memory management is performed. C++ : explicit memory management Advantage:permitting much more efficient use of memory Can bloat a program at run?time, or make a program very inefficient Common Errors in C++ Using a value before it has been initialized. Allocating memory for a value, then not deleting it once it is no longer being used. Using a value after it has been freed. Memory Model C++ model is much closer to the actual machine representation than is Java memory model. Permits an efficient implementation at the expense of needing increased diligence on the part of the programmer. Stack?resident - created automatically when a procedure is entered or exited. Heap?resident - must be explicitly created using the new operator. Stack Resident Memory Values C++ Both the stack and the heap are internal data structures managed by a run?time system. Values on a stack are strongly tied to procedure entry and exit. When a procedure begins execution, a new section of the stack is created. Java only primitive values are truly stack resident. objects and arrays are always allocated on the heap. Program Example: test() void test () // Java { int i; int a[ ] = new int [10]; anObject ao = new anObject(); ….. } void test () // C++ { int i, int a [10]; anOb j e ct ao; ….. } Drawbacks Using Stack Lifetime of stack resident memory values is tied to procedure entry exit. Stack resident values cease to exist when a procedure returns. An attempt to use resident value after deletion will typically result in error. Size of stack resident memory values must be known at compile time, which is when the structure of the activation record is laid out. Lifetime Errors