What is a dangling pointer in C++?
Options
- A. A pointer that points to a valid allocated object
- B. A pointer that points to memory that is no longer valid
- C. A pointer that always contains NULL
- D. More than one of the above
- E. None of the above
Quiz Practice:
B. A pointer that points to memory that is no longer valid
Answer: A pointer that points to memory that is no longer valid
A dangling pointer is a pointer whose referenced object or memory has already been destroyed or released.
For example:
int *p = new int(10);
delete p;
After delete p, the pointer variable may still contain the old address, but that memory is no longer valid for use. Such a pointer is called a dangling pointer.