Question

I need a C++ refresher. Why does this gives a memory exception?

pear = new char[1024];
pear = "happy go lucky";
delete [] pear; // exception

Answer 1

pear = new char[1024];

Memory for 1024 character is allocated from heap and pear points to the start of it.

pear = "happy go lucky";

pear now points to the string literal which resides in the read-only segment and the previously allocated memory is leaked.

delete [] pear;

You try to free the read-only string, which is a undefined behaviour manifested as a runtime exception.