Question

I have a problem. I need to clone objects class containing pointers. An example of the problem is in the following code:

#include "stdafx.h"
#include <iostream>
#include <string.h>
#include <vector>

class CPoint
{
protected:
    int m_x;
    int m_y;

    int *m_p;

public:
    CPoint();
    CPoint(int x, int y);
    ~CPoint();

    CPoint*         clone();
    static CPoint*  clone(CPoint& p);

    int getX();
    int getY();
    void setX(int x);
    void setY(int y);

    void toString();
};

int CPoint::getX()
{
    return m_x;
}

int CPoint::getY()
{
    return m_y;
}

void CPoint::setX( int x )
{
    m_x = x;
}

void CPoint::setY( int y )
{
    m_y = y;
}

void CPoint::toString()
{
    std::cout << "(" << m_x << ", " << m_y<< ", " << *m_p << ")" << std::endl;
}

CPoint::CPoint( int x, int y )
{
    m_x = x;
    m_y = y;    

    m_p = new int();
    *m_p = x + y;
}

CPoint::CPoint()
{
    m_p = new int();
    *m_p = 1000;
}

CPoint* CPoint::clone()
{
    CPoint *p = new CPoint();
    *p = *this;
    return p;
}

CPoint* CPoint::clone( CPoint& p )
{
    CPoint *q = new CPoint();
    *q = p;
    return q;
}

CPoint::~CPoint()
{
    if (m_p) {
        delete m_p;
        m_p = NULL;
    }
}

int _tmain(int argc, _TCHAR* argv[])
{
    CPoint *p1 = new CPoint(10, 20);
    CPoint *p2 = new CPoint(30, 40);

    p1->toString();
    p2->toString();

    CPoint *p3;
    p3 = CPoint::clone(*p1);

    p3->toString();

    CPoint *p4;
    p4 = p2->clone();

    p4->toString();

    p1->setX(50);
    p1->setY(60);
    p2->setX(80);
    p2->setY(90);

    p3->toString();
    p4->toString();

    delete p1;
    delete p2;
    delete p3;
    delete p4;

    int a;
    std::cin >> a;

    return 0;
}

The problem I have with the variable m_p. When clone objects p1 and p2 on p3 and p4, the memory addresses p1 and p3 are different but m_p address is the same. Obviously, when remove p1, p3 removal fails. With p2 and p4 is the same.

How I can clone a CPoint class object?

Answer 1

Assuming that m_p points to only one integer (and not a whole array), cloning can be done like this:

CPoint* CPoint::clone()
{
    CPoint* cloned = new CPoint(m_x, m_y);
    if (m_p)
    {
        cloned->m_p = new int;
        *cloned->m_p = *m_p;
    }
    return cloned;
}

Note that such a member pointer has the sole purpose of adding the additional possibility of having a NULL-value – which can have a separate meaning.

Note also that the following has to be done to avoid memory leaks and heap corruption:

• The copy constructor and assignment operator have to be “disabled” (declared private)
• The destructor must delete m_p.