memset on stl string

cyberizen · November 10th, 2005 04:37 PM

Hi

I have used memset for initializing values to 0 for primitive type like integers floats chars but I have problems when I try to do the same with stl strings consider this

Code:

struct foo
{
 public:
        int a;
        char c;
        string s;
        float f;  
};
class bar
{
protected:
       foo f;
public:
       bar()
      {
            memset(&cdr,0,sizeof(f));
      }
};
int main()
{
        bar *b = new bar();
        delete b;
        return 0;
}

The above program gives a segmentation fault. But if I comment the string it works just fine so what exactly is the problem here?

Regards
Ahmed Bhaila

Bob Davis · November 10th, 2005 04:43 PM

Simply stated, you can't do that. You can't use C-style functions meant for primitive types on non-primitive types. Period. That's what constructors are for.

Paul McKenzie · November 10th, 2005 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by cyberizen

Hi

I have used memset for initializing values to 0 for primitive type like integers floats chars but I have problems when I try to do the same with stl strings

Of course you have a problem. What do you think happens when you wipe out all of the std::string's internals with memset? You've messed up the std::string object, plain and simple.

Bottom line is that you can't use memset on non-POD classes. You need to code a legitimate constructor for the foo object once you introduce non-POD members such as std::string.

The above program gives a segmentation fault. But if I comment the string it works just fine so what exactly is the problem here?

Read up on POD (Plain-Old-Data, i.e. C-compatible) types and non-POD types. A std::string is a non-POD type, and you must use it in accordance to its public interface. No 'C' functions such as memset(), memcpy() or anything like that that works on raw memory can be used on these types.

Regards,

Paul McKenzie

cyberizen · November 10th, 2005 04:50 PM

ok so this simple means that If I have say like many integers and other primitive types and a single string the only way to initialize them is by equating every element to 0 one by one

memset on stl string

Thread: memset on stl string

Thread Tools

Display