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
 Once a procedure returns from execution, any stack
resident values are deleted & no longer accessible.
 A reference to such a value will no longer be valid,
although it may for a time appear to work.
Program Example: readALine()
Char * readALine ()
{
char buffer[1000]; // declare a buffer for the line gets(buffer);
gets(buffer);
// read the line return buffer;
return buffer;
// return text of line
}
String readALine (BufferedInput inp) throws IOException
{
// create a buffer for the line
String line = inp.readLine();
return line;
}
char * lineBuffer; // global declaration of pointer to buffer
void readALine ()
{
char buffer[tOOO]; // declare a buffer for the line
gets(buffer);
// read the line
lineBuffer = buffer; // set pointer to reference buffer
}
Size Errors - Slicing Problem
 Most severe restrictions of stack-based memory
management: positions of values within the activation
record are determined at compile time.
 For primitive values & pointers this is a small concern.
 For arrays: the array bound must be known at compile
time.
 For objects: a limitation on the degree to which values
can be polymorphic.
Array Allocations
 Stack resident arrays must have a size that is known at
compile time.
 Often programmers avoid this problem by allocating an
array with a size that is purposely too large.
 Rule: Never assume that just because an array is big, it
will always be “big enough”
Program Example
char buffer[200];
// making array
global avoids deletion error
char * readALine ()
{
gets(buffer); // read the line
return buffer;
}
char * buffer;
int newSize; // newSize is given some
value
…. buffer = new ChartnewSize]; //
create an array of the given size
….
delete [ ] buffer; // delete buffier when
no longer Being used
class A {
public:
// constructor
A () : dataOne(2) { }
// identification method
virtual void whoAmI () { printf("class A");
}
private:
int dataOne;
};
class B : public A {
public:
// constructor
B () : dataTwo(4) { }
// identification method
virtual void whoAmI () { printf("class B");
}
private:
int dataTwo;
};
Slicing Problem
 Java: polymorphic - a variable declared as maintaining a
value of one class can be holding a value derived from a
child class.
 In both Java and C++, it is legal to assign a value derived
from class B to a variable declared as holding an instance
of class A.
A instanceOfA; // declare instances of
B instanceOfB; // class A and B
instanceOfA = instanceOfB;
instaceOfA.whoAmI();
Slicing Problem
 Rule: Static variables are never polymorphic.
 Note carefully that slicing does not occur with
references or with pointers:
A & referenceToA = instanceOfB;
referenceToA.whoAmI(); // will print class B
B * pointerToB = new B();
A * pointerToA = pointerToB();
pointerToA -> whoAmI(); // will print class B
 Slicing only occurs with objects that are stack resident :
C++ programs make the majority of their objects heap
resident.
Heap Resident Memory Values
 Heap resident values are created using the new operator.
 Memory for such values resides on the heap, or free
store, which is a separate part of memory from the
stack.
 Typically accessed through a pointer, which will often
reside on the stack.
 Java hides the use of this pointer value, don’t need be
concerned with it.
 In C++, pointer declaration is explicitly stated.
Heap Resident Memory Values
void test () // Java
{
A anA = new A ( );
…….
}
void test () // C++
{
A * anA = new A; // note pointer declaration
if (anA == 0) ...
// handle no memory situation
delete anA;
}
Recovery of Heap Based Memory
 Java incorporates garbage collection into its run-time
library: the garbage collection system monitors the use
of dynamically allocated variables, and will
automatically recover and reuse memory that is no
longer being accessed.
 In C++, leaves this task to the programmer: dynamically
allocated memory must be handed back to the heap
manager using the delete operator. The deletion is
performed by simply naming the pointer variable.
Common Error in C++
 Forgetting to allocate a heap-resident value, and using a
pointer as if it were referencing a legitimate value.
 Forgetting to hand unused memory back to the heap
manager.
 Attempting to use memory values after they have been
handed back to the heap manager.
 Invoking the delete statement on the same value more
than once, thereby passing the same memory value
back to the heap manager.
Match memory allocations and deletions
 Null pointer exception.
 Memory leak: an allocation of memory that is never
recovered - cause the memory requirements for the
program to increase over time. Eventually the heap
manager will be unable to service a request for further
memory, and the program will halt.
 Result of an over-zealous attempt to avoid the
second error.
 Inconsistent state by the heap manager.
 Rule: Always match memory allocations and
deletions
Simple Techniques to manage heap
 Hide the allocation and release of dynamic memory
values inside an object.
 Maintaining a reference count that indicates the number
of pointers to the value. When this count is decremented
to zero, the value can be recovered.
Encapsulating Memory Management
 String literals in C++ are very low level abstractions.
 A string literal in C++ is treated as an array of character
values, and the only permitted operations are those
common to all arrays.
 The String data type in Java is designed to provide a
higher level of abstraction.
 A version of this data structure is provided in the new
Standard Template Library.
Program Example: resize()
void String::resize(int size){
if (buffer == O);
// no previous
allocation
buffer = new char[1+ size];
else if (size > strlen(buffer)) {
class String {
Public:
String
() : buffer(0) { } // constructors
String
(const char * right) : buffer(0)
{ resize(strlen(right)); strcpy(buffer, right);
}
String
(const String & right) :
buffer(0)
{ resize(strlen(right.buffer)); strcpy(buffer,
right.buffer);
}
String () { delete [ ] buffer; } // destructor
void operator = (const String & right) //
assignment
{ resize(strlen(right.buffer));
strcpy(buffer, right.buffer); }
private:
void resize (int size);
char * buffer;
};
delete [ ] buffer; // recover old value
buffer = new char[1 + size];}
}
Destructor in C++
 Destructor: a preocedure that performs whatever
housekeeping is necessary before a variable is deleted.
 Destructor class is a non-argument procedure with a
name formed by prepending a tilde before the class
name.
 Can match all allocations and deletes, ensuring no
memory leaks will occur.
 delete operator is the function used to actually return
memory to the heap manger
finalize in Java
 A finalize method invoked when the value holding the method
is about to be recovered by the garbage collector.
 Cannot make assumptions concerning behavior based on the
execution of code in a finalize method.
Execution Tracer
 The class Trace takes as argument a string value. The
constructor prints a message using the strings and the
destructor prints a different message using the same
string:
 To trace the flow of function invocations, the
programmer simply creates a declaration for a dummy
variable of type Trace in each procedure to be traced
Program Example: class Trace
class Trace {
public:
Trace (string); // constructor and destructor
~ trace ();
private:
string name;
};
Trace: :Trace (string t) : name(t){
cout << "Entering " << name << end1;
}
Trace : : ~Trace (){
count << “Exiting “ << name << end1;
}
Program Example: procedures
void procedureOne (){
Trace dummy("Procedure One");
….
procedureTwo(); // proc one invokes proc two
}
void procedureTwo (){
Trace dummy("Procedure Two");
….
If (x < 5) {
Trace dumTrue("x test is true");
…..
}
else {
Trace dumFalse("x test is false");
…..
} …..
}
Auto_ptr Class
 There is an object that must dynamically allocate
another memory value in order to perform its intended
task
 But the lifetime of the dynamic value is tied to the
lifetime of the original object; it exists as long as the
original objects exists, and should be eliminated when
the original object ceases to exist.
 To simplify the management of memory, the standard
library implements a useful type named auto_ptr.
Reference Count
 Reference Count: the count of the number of pointers
to a dynamically allocated object.
 Ensure the count is accurate: whenever a new pointer is
added the count is incremented, and whenever a pointer
is removed the count is decremented.
Reference Count (Table)
“abc”
“xyz”
string a = “abc”
1
0
string b = “xyz”
1
0
string c;
1
1
c = a;
2
1
a = b;
1
2
g = b;
2
2
end of execution:
destructor for c
destructor for b
destructor for a
1
1
1
2
1
0
Statement