Question

I am declaring an array of void pointers. Each of which points to a value of arbitary type.
void **values; // Array of void pointers to each value of arbitary type

Initializing values as follows:

     values = (void**)calloc(3,sizeof(void*));     //can initialize values as: values = new void* [3];     int ival = 1;     float fval = 2.0;     char* str = 'word';     values[0] = (void*)new int(ival);     values[1] = (void*)new float(fval);     values[2] = (void*)str;      //Trying to Clear the memory allocated     free(*values);      //Error: *** glibc detected *** simpleSQL: free(): invalid pointer: 0x080611b4     //Core dumped     delete[] values*;     //warning: deleting 'void*' is undefined     //Similar Error. 

Now how do I free/delete the memory allocated for values ( the array of void pointers)?

Answer 1

You have 3 things that are dynamically allocated that need to be freed in 2 different ways:

delete reinterpret_cast<int*>( values[0]);     delete reinterpret_cast<float*>( values[1]);  free( values); // I'm not sure why this would have failed in your example,                 //    but it would have leaked the 2 items that you allocated                 //    with new 

Note that since str is not dynamically allocated it should not (actually cannot) be freed.

A couple of notes:

• I’m assuming that the sizeof(void) was meant to be sizeof(void*) since what you have won’t compile
• I’m not going to say anything about your seemingly random casting except that it looks like code that ready for disaster in general