FIX: Destructor Not Called When DEBUG_NEW Is Defined

• The Microsoft C/C++ Compiler (CL.EXE)
  • Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Editions, versions 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 5.0

SYMPTOMS

If new is defined as DEBUG_NEW and a call to new is made for a class that takes a reference to another class in the member initialization, then the destructor is not called for the referenced class for versions 4.0, 4.1, and 4.2.

This is illustrated in the output from the following example:

   ClassA Constructor
   ClassB Constructor
   ClassB Destructor 

fatal error C1001: INTERNAL COMPILER ERROR
(compiler file 'E:\utc\src\\P2\ehexcept.c', line 516)

RESOLUTION

The best way to work around the problem is to move the new statement to be within the body of the constructor. For example,

   ClassC() {
      mClassB = new ClassB("Goodbye");
   } 

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a bug in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This bug has been fixed in Visual Studio 97 Service Pack 3 and Visual C++ 6.0.

For more information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q170365 INFO: Visual Studio 97 Service Packs - What, Where, and Why

MORE INFORMATION

Sample Code

   /* Compile options needed: /D_DEBUG
   */ 
   #include <afx.h>
   #include <iostream.h>

   #ifdef _DEBUG
   #define new DEBUG_NEW
   #endif

   class ClassA {
   public:
       ClassA(const char *) { cout<< "ClassA Constructor" << endl; }
       ~ClassA()            { cout<< "ClassA Destructor"  << endl; }
   };

   class ClassB {
   public:
       ClassB(const ClassA&){ cout << "ClassB Constructor" << endl;}
       ~ClassB()            { cout << "ClassB Destructor"  << endl;}
   };

   class ClassC {
   public:
       ClassB *mClassB;
       ClassC()
            :mClassB(new ClassB("Goodbye") )    // Error
       {
       //    mClassB = new ClassB("Goodbye");   // Workaround
       }
       ~ClassC() { delete mClassB; }
   };

   void main() {
       ClassC TestClassInstance;
   } 

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbcode kbCodeGen kbCompiler kbCPPonly kbVC kbVC400bug kbVC410bug kbVC420bug kbVC500bug kbVC600fix kbVS97sp3fix
Version :
Platform : NT WINDOWS
Issue type : kbbug