From -674687139099317763 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: f78e5,176c9dc06a6729eb X-Google-Attributes: gidf78e5,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2002-03-24 20:55:01 PST Path: archiver1.google.com!news1.google.com!sn-xit-02!sn-xit-03!supernews.com!peer1-sjc1.usenetserver.com!usenetserver.com!news.alt.net!comp-std-cpp-robomod!not-for-mail From: Francis Glassborow Newsgroups: comp.std.c++ Subject: Re: why doesn't delete NULL the pointer? Date: Sun, 24 Mar 2002 22:52:47 CST Organization: Southfield Microcomputer SS Lines: 32 Approved: Fergus Henderson , moderator of comp.std.c++ Message-ID: References: <3C9DF1AC.D46ECA4B@wizard.net> Reply-To: Francis Glassborow Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain;charset=us-ascii;format=flowed Return-Path: X-Authentication-Warning: mulga.cs.mu.OZ.AU: fjh set sender to devnull@stump.algebra.com using -f X-Robomod: STUMP, ichudov@algebra.com (Igor Chudov) User-Agent: Turnpike/6.01-U () Xref: archiver1.google.com comp.std.c++:10162 In article <3C9DF1AC.D46ECA4B@wizard.net>, James Kuyper Jr. writes >Francis Glassborow wrote: >.... >> We could do with an FAQ round here. delete gets a pointer value, (and >> essentially that is what it must get) aka an address of the object to be >> destroyed and have its memory released. It knows nothing of the >> location, if any, where that address is stored. > >The point is, that delete could have been given a different interface >that took a pointer to a pointer, or a reference to a pointer, which >would have allowed such semantics. So the question of why that wasn't >done is legitimate. But to justify that it would be necessary to demonstrate that the result was more useful. Everything I have ever seen shows that the contrary would be the case. In fact since people have come to recognise the desirability of using smart pointers, handles etc. the case is almost entirely moot. -- Francis Glassborow Check out the ACCU Spring Conference 2002 4 Days, 4 tracks, 4+ languages, World class speakers For details see: http://www.accu.org/events/public/accu0204.htm --- [ comp.std.c++ is moderated. To submit articles, try just posting with ] [ your news-reader. If that fails, use mailto:std-c++@ncar.ucar.edu ] [ --- Please see the FAQ before posting. --- ] [ FAQ: http://www.research.att.com/~austern/csc/faq.html ]