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Topic: Returning a pointer to a local array?

RichHolton
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Joined: 2022-09-08, 20:44
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Location: Rockford, Illinois, USA
Posted at: 2022-10-20, 16:27

Either I have found a potential bug, or my understanding of C++ arrays is lacking. I hope someone can let me know which.

In base/log.cc take a look at the function get_output_directory (line 52). This is part of a _WIN32 block.

The function declares an array of char (or wchar_t) named path. It fills that array using GetModuleFileName(), then makes some modifications, and returns a pointer to path.

Isn't path allocated from the stack? Put a different way, isn't the lifetime of path limited to the duration of the function?

If so, returning a pointer to path is at least dangerous.

The function's only use is on line 143, to create a new WindowsLogger.

Thanks for any feedback.


Rich Holton

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Nordfriese
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Joined: 2017-01-17, 18:07
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Posted at: 2022-10-20, 16:39

Forget my previous post. The function returns std::string so the return statement is an implicit type conversion. String constructor makes a deep copy on the heap. So it's safe.


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RichHolton
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Joined: 2022-09-08, 20:44
Posts: 23
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Location: Rockford, Illinois, USA
Posted at: 2022-10-20, 19:32

I didn't know that there was an implicit conversion to String on a return. Thanks for educating me.


Rich Holton

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