Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!hplabs!hpl-opus!hpnmdla!hpmwtd!jeffa
From: jeffa@hpmwtd.HP.COM (Jeff Aguilera)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: Change to delete is in order
Message-ID: <1520024@hpmwjaa.HP.COM>
Date: 15 Mar 90 21:25:08 GMT
References: <5136@odin.SGI.COM>
Organization: HP Microwave Tech. - Santa Rosa, Ca.
Lines: 21

>
>	delete should be defined to zero the pointer it is handed
>	after freeing the associated store.
>

During program testing and development, a custom allocator is
often worthwhile.

I use a moderately piggish allocator that remembers the caller
(by walking the stack frame!!) so that memory leaks can be
tracked down.  The deallocator checks pointer validity, off
by-one errors, and zeroes the allocated store on delete.
Erroneous access to deleted pointers is normally caught
right away.

Since your problem is effectively solved using existing language 
features, may I remind you of your own arrogance: "This is a 
great example of why language design should be left to people
who know what they're doing."  You forgot your smiley :-)
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jeffa