C++

Dynamic Memory Management

C++ 143 views Dec 22, 2025 1 min read

Dynamic memory management allows a program to allocate and deallocate memory at runtime.

Why Dynamic Memory is Needed

  • Size of data not known at compile time

  • Efficient use of memory

  • Supports dynamic data structures

Operators Used

C++ provides two operators:

  • new

  • delete

Allocating Memory Using new

Single Variable

int *ptr = new int;

Array Allocation

int *arr = new int[5];

Initializing Dynamic Memory

int *ptr = new int(10);

Deallocating Memory Using delete

Single Variable

delete ptr;

Array

delete[] arr;

Example Program

#include 
using namespace std;

int main() {
    int *ptr = new int(20);
    cout << *ptr;
    delete ptr;
    return 0;
}

Memory Leak

Occurs when allocated memory is not released.

int *p = new int;
// delete p;  // Missing delete causes memory leak

Advantages

  • Memory used only when required

  • Improves program flexibility

  • Efficient memory usage

Key Points

  • new allocates memory

  • delete frees memory

  • Use delete[] for arrays

  • Avoid memory leaks

Conclusion

Dynamic memory management in C++ provides control over memory usage and is essential for efficient program execution.

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