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From: ttwang@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (Thomas Wang)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: proper behavior of operator new
Message-ID: <14210@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU>
Date: 4 Sep 89 19:09:55 GMT
References: <14208@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU>
Reply-To: ttwang@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (Thomas Wang)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Cal Poly State University -- San Luis Obispo
Lines: 20

ttwang@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (Thomas Wang) writes:
>When memory on the free store runs out, operator 'new' will call the function
>pointed by _new_handler.  When _new_handler finishes, I think the new
>operator should try another time to allocate the storage.  This is because
>the _new_handler may have deleted some unused storage space, so now there
>is enough space after all.

I just did some testing.  The behavior of 'new' is different for cfront 1.2
and g++ 1.34.  Cfront will contineously call the _new_handler until some
memory is freed.  You can set_new_handler(0); to terminate the loop.  If
enough memory is freed, the object will be allocated with no problem.

On the other hand, g++ 1.34 will call _new_handler only once.  A null
pointer is returned even if enough memory is freed.  This looks like
a bug.

 -Thomas Wang ("I am, therefore I am."
                 - Akira               )

                                                     ttwang@polyslo.calpoly.edu