Question

Which of these should be used?

char *ex = new char[255];
// code
delete [] ex;

or

char *ex = new char[255];
// code
delete [] (char *) ex;

I’m thinking that the cast isn’t necessary, but would it have any effect on the actual deletion?

Answer 1

char *ex = new char[255];
// code
delete [] ex;

You do not need to cast, The cast won’t have any effect anyways.

The C++ Standard does not need you to do any casting. Here is the reference.

Section §3.7.3.2.3:

The value of the first argument supplied to one of the deallocation functions provided in the standard library may be a null pointer value; if so, the call to the deallocation function has no effect. Otherwise, the value supplied to operator delete(void*) in the standard library shall be one of the values returned by a previous invocation of either operator new(size_t) or operator new(size_t, const std::nothrow_t&) in the standard library, and the value supplied to operator delete[](void*) in the standard library shall be one of the values returned by a previous invocation of either operator new[](size_t) or operator new[](size_t, const std::nothrow_t&) in the standard library.