Where to delete the dynamic memory "char p"? - c++

Question

This is a hangman game program. I am declaring a char*p in the main which I can't understand why I am unable to delete later in the program when I don't need it. I tried it deleting later but it gives a heap memory error.
Also, I am a newbie in c++ - actually in programming - I will also appreciate if you can help me on how can I make the output of this program(on console) look more attractive and interactive. Like where should I use system("cls") commands more that can make it look more readable and remove non-essential information. Make a file in the same directory of the program with name either easy,medium or hard. so that it can have input from it when u run the program..
#pragma once
#include<iostream>
#include<string>
#include<ctime>
#include <cstdlib>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <Windows.h>
#include<fstream>
#include<ctime>
#include <chrono> // for measuring time
using namespace std;
using namespace chrono;
//scoring the game with recard to time....
// filing : user name unique id and all that
//storing the name of user , his score, long story short, make a record of every user who passes by
int len = 0, letterCount = 0, size = 0, guesses = 6;
class tstamp
{
time_point<system_clock>tstart;
time_point<system_clock>tstop;
public:
void start()
{
tstart = system_clock::now();
}
void stop()
{
tstop = system_clock::now();
}
long long elasped()
{
return duration_cast<chrono::seconds>(tstop - tstart).count();
}
};
int checkWin(string a, char *p)
{
int count = 0;
int i = 0;
char *an = new char[a.length()];
string word = p;
for (i = 0; i < a.length(); i++)
{
if (a[i] == word[i])
count++;
}
if (count == i)
return 1; // 1 means the array is equal to the string == win
else
return 0; // not win
delete[]an; // using delete here for 1st
}
void resetData(string nameOfPlayer)
{
ofstream fout;
fout.open(nameOfPlayer + ".txt", ios::trunc);
//fout << "No Record";
fout.close();
}
void playerDetails(string nameOfPlayer, string a, bool status, float timeTaken)
{
char check = '\0';
ofstream fout;
fout.open(nameOfPlayer + ".txt", ios::app);
if (status == true)
fout << "Status : WON" << endl;
else
fout << "Status : LOST" << endl;
fout << "Word : " << a << endl;
fout << "Time taken to guess : " << timeTaken << " seconds" << endl;
fout << "********************************************";
fout << endl << endl;
fout.close();
}
string * grow(string *p, string temp) // to regrow the string array!!!!!
{
string* newArray = new string[size + 1];
for (int i = 0; i<size - 1; i++)
{
*(newArray + i) = *(p + i);
}
newArray[size - 1] = temp;
delete[] p;
return newArray;
}
char inGameMenu(char reset)
{
reset = '\0';
cout << "\n\t--->To reset your record press 'r' : ";
cout << "\n\n\t--->To display your previous record press 'd' : ";
cout << "\n\n\t--->To continue press 'x' : ";
cout << "\n\n\t--->To Exit the game press 'q' : ";
cout << endl << "\n\n\t--->Your Choice : ";
cin >> reset;
return reset;
}
string provideWord(string *contents, string a)
{
srand(time(NULL));
int i = rand() % size;
a = contents[i];
return a;
}
string* read(string fileName, string contents[])
{
string ext = ".txt";
fileName = fileName + ext;
fstream fin;
fin.open(fileName);
if (fin.is_open())
{
fin >> contents[0];
size++;
string temp;
while (fin >> temp)
{
size++;
contents = grow(contents, temp);
}
}
else
cout << "\n\tFile Not Found\n\n\n";
return contents;
}
char * makeAsterisks(string temp) // this will make astericks of the word player have to guess.
{
int len = temp.length();
char*p = new char[len];
for (int i = 0; i < len; i++)
{
p[i] = '-';
}
p[len] = '\0';
return p;
}
void displayRecord(string fileName, string display)
{
fstream fout;
fout.open(fileName + ".txt");
cout << "\n----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------";
if (fout.is_open())
{
cout << endl << endl;
while (getline(fout, display))
cout << display << endl;
}
else
cout << "\n!!No Record Found!!\nYou might be a new user\n";
cout << "\n----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n";
fout.close();
}
char * checkMyGuess(string word, char userGuess, char ar[])
{
bool flag = true;
for (int i = 0; i < word.length(); i++)
{
if (userGuess == word[i])
{
flag = false;
ar[i] = userGuess;
letterCount++;
}
}
if (flag == true)
{
_beep(450, 100);
cout << "\n\t!!!Wrong!!!\n";
len--;
guesses--;
}
return ar;
}
void rules()
{
system("Color 09 "); // for color effects
cout << "\n\n\t\t\t=====================\n";
cout << "\t\t\t||\tHANGMAN\t ||\n\t\t\t||\tRules\t ||"
<< "\n " << "\t\t\t=====================\n\n\n";
_beep(4000, 500);
system("Color 08 "); // for color effects
system("Color 07 "); // for color effects
cout << "\t--> Computer will think of a word and you have try\n" // rules
<< "\t to guess what it is one letter at a\n"
<< "\t time. Computer will draw a number of dashes \n "
<< "\tequivalent to the number of letters in the word.\n "
<< "\t If you suggest a letter that occurs\n "
<< "\t in the word, the computer will fill in the blank(s)\n"
<< "\t with that letter in the right place(s).\n"
<< "\t The session will be timed. \n\n";
cout << endl;
cout << "\t--> Total number of wrong choices : 6\n\n"; //wrong turns
cout << "\t--> Objective : Guess the word / phrase before you run out of choices!\n\n"; // obj
}
int checkForName(string fileName)
{
fileName = fileName + ".txt";
char line = '\0';
fstream fin;
char fromFile[7] = "\t\tName";
fin.open(fileName);
int i = 0,
check = 0;
while (fin.get(line) && i < 7)
{
if (line == fromFile[i++])
check++;
}
if (check == i - 1)
return 1;
else
return 0;
fin.close();
}
void checkForRecord(string fileName)
{
fileName = fileName + ".txt";
char line = '\0';
fstream fin;
char fromFile[7] = "No";
fin.open(fileName);
int i = 0,
check = 0;
while (fin.get(line) && i < 3)
{
if (line == fromFile[i++])
check++;
}
if (check == i - 1)
{
fin.open(fileName, ios::trunc);
fin.close();
}
fin.close();
}
int menu(int mode) // this function asks the user to enter the difficulty level of the game!!! You can't even beat medium!
{
system("cls");
cout << "Please select the Level of Game :\n";
cout << "1. Easy" << endl;
cout << "2. Medium" << endl;
cout << "3. Hard" << endl << endl;
cout << "Your Choice : ";
cin >> mode;
while (!(mode <= 3 && mode >= 1))
{
cout << endl << endl;
cout << "Please Enter the number of given choices: ";
cin >> mode;
}
return mode;
}
int comMenu(string nameOfPlayer, char reset)
{
string readData;
reset = '\0';
while (1)
{
reset = inGameMenu(reset);
if (reset == 'r')
{
resetData(nameOfPlayer);
system("cls");
Sleep(1);
}
else if (reset == 'd')
{
system("cls");
Sleep(1); // just to add a little delay!
cout << "Your Record Shows :--->\n";
displayRecord(nameOfPlayer, readData);
}
else if (reset == 'x')
break;
else if (reset == 'q')
break;
else
{
cout << "\n\n!!!Invalid Choice!!!\n\n";
}
}
return reset;
}
int main()
{
string nameOfPlayer;
char anyKey = '\0';
string name;
cout << endl;
rules();
cout << "Enter the name of player: ";
cin >> nameOfPlayer;
while (1)
{
char reset = '\0';
reset = comMenu(nameOfPlayer, reset);
if (reset != 'q') // check to exit the game
{
int uniquevar = checkForName(nameOfPlayer);
if (uniquevar != 1)
{
ofstream fout;
fout.open(nameOfPlayer + ".txt", ios::app);
fout << "\t\tName of Player : " << nameOfPlayer << endl << endl << endl;
fout.close();
}
while (1)
{
system("Color E0");
bool status = true; //initially win
size = 0,
len = 0,
letterCount = 0,
guesses = 6;
string a = ""; // it holds the word
string *contents = new string[1];
string name = "";
char b;
int mode = 0;
tstamp ts;
bool notRepeat[26] = { 0 };
if (anyKey == 'X' || anyKey == 'x')
break;
else
{
mode = menu(mode);
if (mode == 1)
name = "easy";
else if (mode == 2)
name = "medium";
else if (mode == 3)
name = "hard";
contents = read(name, contents);
cout << endl;
}
a = provideWord(contents, a);
delete[]contents;
len = a.length();
char *p = makeAsterisks(a); // detele it later
cout << "Total number of words to guesses: " << len << endl << endl;
cout << "Total guesses you have: 6\n";
cout << "Word :\n\n\t" << p << endl << endl;
ts.start(); // it starts counting the time...
while (guesses != 0)
{
cout << "Enter char: ";
cin >> b;
if (b >= '1' && b <= '9')
{
cout << "\n\nThere is not number in the given word\n\n";
continue;
}
int temp = b - 97; // it assigns the value of alphabet to temp i.e a=0,b=0 so on...
if (notRepeat[temp] != false)
{
cout << "\n\nYou've already used this word\n\n";
cout << "Remaining Choices: " << guesses << endl << endl;
continue;
}
else
{
p = checkMyGuess(a, b, p);
int checkingTheWin = checkWin(a, p);
if (checkingTheWin == 0)
{
}
else
{
cout << "\n\n\t*************You Won****************\n\n";
status = true; //true = win
break;
}
notRepeat[temp] = true;
cout << endl << endl;
cout << "Remaining Choices: " << guesses << endl;
cout << endl << '\t' << p << endl;
}
}
ts.stop();
cout << "Time Taken: " << ts.elasped() << " seconds\n\n";
p = NULL;
if (guesses == 0)
{
status = false; //false = lose
checkForRecord(nameOfPlayer);
playerDetails(nameOfPlayer, a, status, time); // right here it will create a file with the name of user
cout << "\n\nGame Over!!!\n\n";
cout << "\t\tThe word was \n\t\t\" " << a << "\"\n\n";
}
else
{
checkForRecord(nameOfPlayer);
playerDetails(nameOfPlayer, a, status, time); // right here it will create a file with the name of user
}
break;
} //ending block of while(1) first
system("color 07"); // shashka!!
}
if (reset == 'q') // to exit the game if the user decides so right away!!
break;
}
cout << "Exiting the Game\n\n";
_beep(3000, 500); // ending sound!
return 0;
}

Answer 1

In makeAsterisks you don't allow for the null terminator. You need to allocate one more character
char * makeAsterisks(string temp)
{
int len = temp.length();
char*p = new char[len + 1]; // <-- change here
for (int i = 0; i < len; i++)
{
p[i] = '-';
}
p[len] = '\0';
return p;
}
Now having said that, you are already using string, why not make life easier for yourself and use it everywhere? Here's makeAsterisks rewritten to use string.
string makeAsterisks(string temp)
{
return string(temp.length(), '-');
}