Trouble Finding The Segmentation Fault Cause(s) - c++

Question

The code keeps giving segmentation fault ( core dropped ) error
I have feel like something is wrong with the getNumberParticles() ; as when i just have return 0 as the function definition there is no error but if i return anything else but 0 theres an error
also if you will tell me to use gdb
its a multiple file program with one main
im not sure how to debug it like that
particleList.cpp
ParticleList::ParticleList() {
numParticles = 0;
particles[500] = {};
}
// ParticleList::ParticleList(int rows, int cols){
// numParticles = 0;
// particles[rows * cols * 4] = {};
// }
ParticleList::ParticleList(const ParticleList& obj){
}
// Clean-up the particle list
ParticleList::~ParticleList() {
for(int i = 0 ; i < 500 ; i++){
delete particles[i];
}
}
// Number of particles in the ParticleList
int ParticleList::getNumberParticles() {
numParticles = 0;
for(int i = 0 ; i < 500 ; i++){
if(particles[i] != nullptr){
numParticles++;
}
}
return this->numParticles;
}
// Get a pointer to the i-th particle in the list
ParticlePtr ParticleList::get(int i) {
return particles[i-1];
}
// Add a particle (as a pointer) to the list
// This class now has control over the pointer
// And should delete the pointer if the particle is removed from the list
void ParticleList::add_back(ParticlePtr particle) {
int quantity = getNumberParticles();
particles[quantity]= particle;
}
// Remove all particles from the list
void ParticleList::clear() {
for(int i = 0 ; i < 500 ; i++){
particles[i]= nullptr;
}
}
ParticleList.h
#ifndef COSC_ASS_ONE_PARTICLE_LIST
#define COSC_ASS_ONE_PARTICLE_LIST
#include "Particle.h"
#include "Types.h"
class ParticleList {
public:
/* */
/* DO NOT MOFIFY ANY CODE IN THIS SECTION */
/* */
// Create a New Empty List
ParticleList();
ParticleList(const ParticleList& obj); //Copy Construcor
// Clean-up the particle list
~ParticleList();
// Number of particles in the ParticleList
int getNumberParticles();
// Get a pointer to the i-th particle in the list
ParticlePtr get(int i);
// Add a particle (as a pointer) to the list
// This class now has control over the pointer
// And should delete the pointer if the particle is removed from the list
void add_back(ParticlePtr particle);
// Remove all particles from the list
// Don't forget to clean-up the memory!
void clear();
/* */
/* YOU MAY ADD YOUR MODIFICATIONS HERE */
/* */
ParticleList(int rows, int cols);
/* This is a suggestion of what you could use. */
/* You can change this code. */
private:
// particle* particles[300]
//Array of pointers to particle objects
ParticlePtr particles[500];
int numParticles;
};

Answer 1

There are a few things wrong with your class:
I don't see anything it provides that std::vector<ParticlePtr> doesn't also provide (correctly).
You have not provided assignment operator, and thus violated the rule of 3.
Your copy constructor is incorrect, and doesn't initialize any of your members.
Your get method implements 1-based indexing, which is very likely to confuse everybody.
It is very likely that issue 2 or 3 above is the root cause of your crash.
But issue 1 should be enough to throw away this code and replace it with std::vector.