Why is there a memory leak on SinglyLinkedList deletion? - c++

Question

I have a utility library that I developed and noticed I have a memory leak in the SinglyLinkedList class. After debugging the code, I could not find why I have a memory leak. This is the test case I am using in the main function:
#include <iostream>
#include "SinglyLinkedList.h"
using namespace std;
int main() {
cout << "Program operating..." << endl;
do {
SinglyLinkedList<int> list = SinglyLinkedList<int>();
list.add(1);
list.add(1);
list.add(1);
} while (true);
cout << "Program terminated..." << endl;
}
Here is SinglyLinkedList.h file. It contains the SinglyLinkedNode and SinglyLinkedList class.
#pragma once
// SinglyLinkedNode
template <class T>
class SinglyLinkedNode {
public:
T data;
SinglyLinkedNode<T>* nextNode;
SinglyLinkedNode(T data);
SinglyLinkedNode(const SinglyLinkedNode& singlyLinkedNode);
void operator = (const SinglyLinkedNode& singlyLinkedNode);
~SinglyLinkedNode();
};
template <class T>
SinglyLinkedNode<T>::SinglyLinkedNode(T data) {
this->data = data;
nextNode = nullptr;
}
template <class T>
SinglyLinkedNode<T>::SinglyLinkedNode(const SinglyLinkedNode& singlyLinkedNode) {
this->data = singlyLinkedNode.data;
nextNode = nullptr;
}
template <class T>
void SinglyLinkedNode<T>::operator = (const SinglyLinkedNode& singlyLinkedNode) {
this->data = singlyLinkedNode.data;
nextNode = nullptr;
}
template <class T>
SinglyLinkedNode<T>::~SinglyLinkedNode() {
nextNode = nullptr;
}
// SinglyLinkedList
template <class E>
class SinglyLinkedList {
private:
unsigned int size;
public:
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* head;
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* tail;
SinglyLinkedList();
SinglyLinkedList(const SinglyLinkedList& singlyLinkedList); // O(n)
void operator = (const SinglyLinkedList<E> singlyLinkedList); // O(n)
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* add(E data); // O(1)
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* addAt(unsigned int i, E data); // O(n)
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* addToHead(E data); // O(1)
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* addToTail(E data); // O(n)
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* getNodeAt(unsigned int i); // O(n)
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* getHeadNode(); // O(1)
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* getTailNode(); // O(1)
bool contains(SinglyLinkedNode<E>* singlyLinkedNode); // O(n)
E getDataAt(unsigned int i); // O(n)
E getHeadData(); // O(1)
E getTailData(); // O(1)
bool contains(E data); // O(n)
E remove(E data); // O(n)
E removeAt(unsigned int i); // O(n)
E removeHead(); // O(1)
E removeTail(); // O(size)
void clear(); // O(size)
bool isEmpty(); // O(1)
unsigned int getSize(); // O(1)
~SinglyLinkedList();
};
template <class E>
SinglyLinkedList<E>::SinglyLinkedList() {
head = nullptr;
tail = nullptr;
size = 0;
}
template <class E>
SinglyLinkedList<E>::SinglyLinkedList(const SinglyLinkedList<E>& singlyLinkedList) {
head = nullptr;
tail = nullptr;
size = 0;
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* currentNode = singlyLinkedList.head;
while (currentNode != nullptr) {
addToTail(currentNode->data);
currentNode = currentNode->nextNode;
}
}
template <class E>
void SinglyLinkedList<E>::operator = (const SinglyLinkedList<E> singlyLinkedList) {
head = nullptr;
tail = nullptr;
size = 0;
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* currentNode = singlyLinkedList.head;
while (currentNode != nullptr) {
addToTail(currentNode->data);
currentNode = currentNode->nextNode;
}
}
template <class E>
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* SinglyLinkedList<E>::add(E data) {
return addToTail(data);
}
template <class E>
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* SinglyLinkedList<E>::addAt(unsigned int i, E data) {
if (i > size)
return nullptr;
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* singlyLinkedNode = new SinglyLinkedNode<E>(data);
if (size == 0) {
head = singlyLinkedNode;
tail = singlyLinkedNode;
size++;
return singlyLinkedNode;
}
if (i == 0) {
singlyLinkedNode->nextNode = head;
head = singlyLinkedNode;
size++;
return singlyLinkedNode;
}
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* currentNode = head;
for (unsigned int j = 1; j < i; j++)
currentNode = currentNode->nextNode;
singlyLinkedNode->nextNode = currentNode->nextNode;
currentNode->nextNode = singlyLinkedNode;
size++;
return singlyLinkedNode;
}
template <class E>
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* SinglyLinkedList<E>::addToHead(E data) {
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* singlyLinkedNode = new SinglyLinkedNode<E>(data);
if (size == 0) {
head = singlyLinkedNode;
tail = singlyLinkedNode;
size++;
return singlyLinkedNode;
}
singlyLinkedNode->nextNode = head;
head = singlyLinkedNode;
size++;
return singlyLinkedNode;
}
template <class E>
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* SinglyLinkedList<E>::addToTail(E data) {
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* singlyLinkedNode = new SinglyLinkedNode<E>(data);
if (size == 0) {
head = singlyLinkedNode;
tail = singlyLinkedNode;
size++;
return singlyLinkedNode;
}
tail->nextNode = new SinglyLinkedNode<E>(data);
tail = tail->nextNode;
size++;
return singlyLinkedNode;
}
template <class E>
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* SinglyLinkedList<E>::getNodeAt(unsigned int i) {
if (size == 0 || i >= size)
return nullptr;
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* currentNode = head;
for (unsigned int j = 0; j < i; j++)
currentNode = currentNode->nextNode;
return currentNode;
}
template <class E>
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* SinglyLinkedList<E>::getHeadNode() {
return head;
}
template <class E>
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* SinglyLinkedList<E>::getTailNode() {
return tail;
}
template <class E>
bool SinglyLinkedList<E>::contains(SinglyLinkedNode<E>* singlyLinkedNode) {
SinglyLinkedList<E>* currentNode = head;
while (currentNode != nullptr)
if (currentNode == singlyLinkedNode)
return true;
return false;
}
template <class E>
E SinglyLinkedList<E>::getDataAt(unsigned int i) {
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* singlyLinkedNode = getNodeAt(i);
if (singlyLinkedNode == nullptr)
throw 0;
return singlyLinkedNode->data;
}
template <class E>
E SinglyLinkedList<E>::getHeadData() {
if (head == nullptr)
throw 1;
return head->data;
}
template <class E>
E SinglyLinkedList<E>::getTailData() {
if (tail == nullptr)
throw 2;
return tail->data;
}
template <class E>
bool SinglyLinkedList<E>::contains(E data) {
if (size == 0)
return false;
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* currentNode = head;
while (currentNode != nullptr) {
if (currentNode->data == data)
return true;
currentNode = currentNode->nextNode;
}
return false;
}
template <class E>
E SinglyLinkedList<E>::remove(E data) {
if (size == 0)
throw 3;
if (head->data == data)
return removeHead();
if (size > 1) {
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* currentNode = head;
while (currentNode->nextNode != nullptr) {
if (currentNode->nextNode->data == data) {
E data = currentNode->nextNode->data;
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* nodeToDelete = currentNode->nextNode;
if (nodeToDelete == tail)
tail = currentNode;
currentNode->nextNode = currentNode->nextNode->nextNode;
delete(nodeToDelete);
size--;
return data;
}
currentNode = currentNode->nextNode;
}
}
throw 4;
}
template <class E>
E SinglyLinkedList<E>::removeAt(unsigned int i) {
if (size == 0 || i >= size)
throw 5;
if (i == 0)
return removeHead();
if (i == (size - 1))
return removeTail();
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* currentNode = head;
for (unsigned int j = 1; j < i; j++)
currentNode = currentNode->nextNode;
E data = currentNode->nextNode->data;
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* nodeToDelete = currentNode->nextNode;
currentNode->nextNode = currentNode->nextNode->nextNode;
delete(nodeToDelete);
size--;
return data;
}
template <class E>
E SinglyLinkedList<E>::removeHead() {
if (size == 0)
throw 6;
if (size == 1) {
E data = head->data;
delete(head);
size--;
head = nullptr;
tail = nullptr;
return data;
}
if (size == 2) {
E data = head->data;
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* newHead = head->nextNode;
delete(head);
head = newHead;
tail = newHead;
size--;
return data;
}
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* newHead = head->nextNode;
E data = head->data;
delete head;
head = newHead;
size--;
return data;
}
template <class E>
E SinglyLinkedList<E>::removeTail() {
if (size == 0)
throw 7;
if (size == 1)
return removeHead();
if (size == 2) {
E data = tail->data;
delete(tail);
tail = head;
size--;
return data;
}
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* currentNode = head;
while (currentNode->nextNode->nextNode != nullptr)
currentNode = currentNode->nextNode;
E data = tail->data;
delete(tail);
currentNode->nextNode = nullptr;
tail = currentNode;
size--;
return data;
}
template <class E>
void SinglyLinkedList<E>::clear() {
while (size > 0)
removeHead();
}
template <class E>
bool SinglyLinkedList<E>::isEmpty() {
if (size == 0)
return true;
}
template <class E>
unsigned int SinglyLinkedList<E>::getSize() {
return size;
}
template <class E>
SinglyLinkedList<E>::~SinglyLinkedList() {
clear();
}
The memory leak only asserts when I have more than one node in the list. I tried going step by step using the debugger, but everything seems to be working fine. Any leads would be very helpful.

Answer 1

At least in this function
template <class E>
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* SinglyLinkedList<E>::addToTail(E data) {
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* singlyLinkedNode = new SinglyLinkedNode<E>(data);
if (size == 0) {
head = singlyLinkedNode;
tail = singlyLinkedNode;
size++;
return singlyLinkedNode;
}
tail->nextNode = new SinglyLinkedNode<E>(data);
tail = tail->nextNode;
size++;
return singlyLinkedNode;
}
called by the function add
template <class E>
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* SinglyLinkedList<E>::add(E data) {
return addToTail(data);
}
there is a memory leak.
A new node is allocated twice when the list is not empty
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* singlyLinkedNode = new SinglyLinkedNode<E>(data);
and
tail->nextNode = new SinglyLinkedNode<E>(data);
And the allocated node pointed to by the pointer singlyLinkedNode is not deleted.
There is other problematic code in your program. For example the parameter of the assignment operator
void operator = (const SinglyLinkedList<E> singlyLinkedList);
should be a reference. Otherwise the operator will be inefficient because it will create a new temporary list.
And moreover it also produces numerous memory leaks because it does not clear the current list.
template <class E>
void SinglyLinkedList<E>::operator = (const SinglyLinkedList<E> singlyLinkedList) {
head = nullptr;
tail = nullptr;
size = 0;
SinglyLinkedNode<E>* currentNode = singlyLinkedList.head;
while (currentNode != nullptr) {
addToTail(currentNode->data);
currentNode = currentNode->nextNode;
}
}
You need to revise your entire program.:)