C++: Value of pointer changes "randomly" - c++

Question

I'm creating a function that creates a map from an image with a maze in it.
It takes the image, goes to every pixel and decides if it has to create a node there. One rule is, that when it finds a white pixel at one of the borders it will either be the start or the end node. To tell my pathfinding function where to start, I push the node into a vector(like all other nodes, too) and save the address of that node in a (double)pointer. My problem is, at the end of the loop, the variables in this node change their values(a bool variable might get the value 133) I actually never modify most of the members in this loop. I really have no idea why this is the case...
For examle:
After assigning the node to the pointer:
Completed: false
DistanceTo: 4294967295
PreviousNode: 0x0
XPos: 3
YPos: 0
m_vConnections: <0 Elements>
After function finished:
Completed: 8
DistanceTo: 32674
PreviousNode: SomeAddress
XPos: 3
YPos: 0
m_vConnections: <0 Elements>
The node at SomeAddress actually has completely screwed values, too, but I suspect that the address just changed and it now interprets the data found there as a node.
Sometimes m_vConnections becomes "inaccesseble" which results in sigsegvs when I try to connect something to it.
My function:
bool CreateGraph(const sf::Image &mMaze, std::vector<dijkstra::CNode> *vGraph, dijkstra::CNode **mStart, dijkstra::CNode **mEnd, SMazeCol mColors)
{
*mStart = 0;
unsigned short nExits = 0;
//Get Maze Colours
sf::Color mWallColor = mColors.Wall;
sf::Color mPathColor = mColors.Path;
//Create nodes
for(unsigned int y = 0; y < mMaze.getSize().y; ++y)
{
for(unsigned int x = 0; x < mMaze.getSize().x; ++x)
{
if(mMaze.getPixel(x, y) == mPathColor) //Current pixel is a path
{
bool bTop = false;
bool bBottom = false;
unsigned short nNeighbours = 0;
//Check surroundings of pixel
if(y != 0 && mMaze.getPixel(x, y - 1) == mPathColor)
{
bTop = true;
++nNeighbours;
}
if(y != mMaze.getSize().y - 1 && mMaze.getPixel(x, y + 1) == mPathColor)
{
bBottom = true;
++nNeighbours;
}
if(x != 0 && mMaze.getPixel(x - 1, y) == mPathColor)
{
++nNeighbours;
}
if(x != mMaze.getSize().x - 1 && mMaze.getPixel(x + 1, y) == mPathColor)
{
++nNeighbours;
}
//Decide if a node has to be created at that pixel
if(x == 0 || y == 0 || x == mMaze.getSize().x - 1 || y == mMaze.getSize().y - 1)
{
dijkstra::CNode mNode;
mNode.XPos = x;
mNode.YPos = y;
vGraph->push_back(mNode);
if(*mStart == 0)
{
*mStart = &vGraph->back();
++nExits;
}
else
{
*mEnd = &vGraph->back();
++nExits;
}
}
else if(nNeighbours == 2 && bTop != bBottom)
{
dijkstra::CNode mNode;
mNode.XPos = x;
mNode.YPos = y;
vGraph->push_back(mNode);
}
else if(nNeighbours > 2)
{
dijkstra::CNode mNode;
mNode.XPos = x;
mNode.YPos = y;
vGraph->push_back(mNode);
}
}
}
}
if(nExits != 2)
return false;
The CNode class:
struct SConnection
{
SConnection(CNode *To, unsigned int Distance);
CNode *To;
unsigned int Distance;
};
class CNode
{
public:
CNode();
std::vector<SConnection> Connections()const;
bool AddConnection(CNode *mTo, unsigned int nDistance);
bool AddConnection(const SConnection &mConnection);
bool RemoveConnection(CNode *mTo);
bool operator > (const CNode &rhs)const;
bool operator < (const CNode &rhs)const;
bool operator == (const CNode &rhs)const;
CNode* Addr();
bool Completed;
unsigned int DistanceTo;
CNode *PreviousNode;
unsigned int XPos, YPos;
private:
std::vector<SConnection> m_vConnections;
};
Implementation:
SConnection::SConnection(CNode *To, unsigned int Distance)
{
this->Distance = Distance;
this->To = To;
}
CNode::CNode()
:Completed(false), DistanceTo(std::numeric_limits<unsigned int>::max()), PreviousNode(0)
{
}
std::vector<SConnection> CNode::Connections() const
{
return m_vConnections;
}
bool CNode::AddConnection(CNode *mTo, unsigned int nDistance)
{
if(mTo == 0)
return false;
if(mTo == this)
return false;
for(auto &it : m_vConnections)
{
if(it.To == mTo)
return false;
}
m_vConnections.push_back({mTo, nDistance});
mTo->m_vConnections.push_back({this, nDistance});
return true;
}
bool CNode::AddConnection(const SConnection &mConnection)
{
return (AddConnection(mConnection.To, mConnection.Distance));
}
bool CNode::RemoveConnection(CNode *mTo)
{
for(auto it = m_vConnections.begin(); it != m_vConnections.end(); ++it)
{
if(it->To == mTo)
{
m_vConnections.erase(it);
for(auto it2 = mTo->m_vConnections.begin(); it2 != m_vConnections.end(); ++it2)
{
if(it2->To == this)
mTo->m_vConnections.erase(it2);
}
}
}
return false;
}
bool CNode::operator >(const CNode &rhs)const
{
return DistanceTo > rhs.DistanceTo;
}
bool CNode::operator <(const CNode &rhs) const
{
return DistanceTo < rhs.DistanceTo;
}
bool CNode::operator ==(const CNode &rhs)const
{
return DistanceTo == rhs.DistanceTo;
}
CNode *CNode::Addr()
{
return this;
}

Answer 1

Your main problem is here:
dijkstra::CNode mNode;
//...
vGraph->push_back(mNode);
if(*mStart == 0)
{
*mStart = &vGraph->back();
++nExits;
}
else
{
*mEnd = &vGraph->back();
++nExits;
}
}
else if(nNeighbours == 2 && bTop != bBottom)
{
dijkstra::CNode mNode;
//...
vGraph->push_back(mNode);
}
else if(nNeighbours > 2)
{
dijkstra::CNode mNode;
//...
vGraph->push_back(mNode);
}
Local variables are not placed in global heap, and can be forgotten by programm soon after the code block where they were created is finished.
The better way to improve your code is to rewrite function declaration as
bool CreateGraph(const sf::Image &mMaze, std::vector<dijkstra::CNode*> *vGraph, dijkstra::CNode **mStart, dijkstra::CNode **mEnd, SMazeCol mColors)
And inside function change all:
dijkstra::CNode mNode
vGraph->push_back(mNode);
to
std::shared_ptr<dijkstra::CNode> mNode =
std::shared_ptr<dijkstra::CNode>(new dijkstra::CNode(X, Y));
vGraph->push_back(mNode.get());