Trying to write my own string class getting exception in gcc - c++

Question

Basically what the title says. I have been trying to write my own string class using only char arrays and, while my code works when I run it in Visual Studio, I have trouble with it when using gcc .The problem seems to be coming when i try to delete in my getData function(can be seen below) The exception I get is:
Exception thrown at 0x6262436B (ucrtbased.dll) in string.exe: 0xC0000005: Access violation reading location 0xCCCCCCBC. occurred
My code :
Header:
#pragma warning(disable:4996)
#ifndef STRING_STRING_H
#define STRING_STRING_H
#include<iostream>
#include<cstring>
#include<fstream>
class String {
private:
char *data; //holds the text
size_t maxSize; //maximum number of chars in data
size_t currentSize; //current number of chars in data
void getData(const char *, size_t maxSize); //sets currentSize to the other char* size and
// copies the content of the other char* to data
public:
String(); //default constructor
~String(); //destructor
String(const String &); //copy-constructor(from String)
String(const char *); //copy-constructor(from char*)
String operator=(const String &); //operator= (from string)
String operator=(const char *); //operator=(from char*)
size_t length() const; //currentSize getter
void addChar(const char); //adds a char to the data array
void getLine(std::ifstream&,const char); // reads line till deliminator and stores it in this string object(all data previously stored is lost)
size_t find(const char*); //searches for text in the string and if found returns the starting position , if not found returns -1;
void print() const; //prints the string object to console
char* toChar() const; //returns a new allocated char pointer with the text inside (must be deleted afterwards)
};
#endif //STRING_STRING_H
cpp:
#include "String.h"
String::String() {
currentSize = 0;
maxSize = 16;
try {
data = new char[maxSize];
data[0] = '\0';
}
catch (std::bad_alloc &) {
std::cerr << "Not enough memory" << std::endl;
throw;
}
}
String::~String() {
delete[] data;
}
size_t String::length() const {
return currentSize;
}
String::String(const String &other) {
this->maxSize = other.maxSize;
getData(other.data, maxSize);
}
String::String(const char *other) {
this->maxSize = strlen(other) *2;
getData(other, maxSize);
}
void String::getData(const char *dataSource, size_t maxSize) {
currentSize = strlen(dataSource);
try {
char *newData = new char[maxSize];
delete[] data;
data = newData;
strcpy(data, dataSource);
}
catch (std::bad_alloc &) {
std::cerr << "Not enough memory" << std::endl;
throw;
}
}
String String::operator=(const String &other) {
if (this != &other) {
maxSize = other.maxSize;
getData(other.data, maxSize);
}
return *this;
}
String String::operator=(const char *other) {
if (this->data != other) {
maxSize = strlen(other) *2;
getData(other, maxSize);
}
return *this;
}
void String::addChar(const char newChar) {
if (maxSize == currentSize+1) {
maxSize *= 2;
getData(this->data, maxSize);
}
data[currentSize++] = newChar;
}
void String::getLine(std::ifstream & is, const char delim='\n')
{
char temp;
while (!is.eof())
{
is.get(temp);
if (temp == delim)
break;
else
addChar(temp);
}
return;
}
size_t String::find(const char * text)
{
size_t currPos=-1;
bool found = 0;
for (size_t i = 0; i < currentSize; i++)
{
if (data[i] == text[0])
{
for (size_t j = i+1; j < currentSize; j++)
{
if (data[j] == text[j - i])
found = 1;
else
{
found = 0;
break;
}
}
if (found == 1)
{
currPos = i;
break;
}
}
}
return currPos;
}
void String::print() const
{
for (size_t i = 0; i < currentSize; i++)
{
std::cout << data[i];
}
std::cout << std::endl;
}
char * String::toChar() const
{
char* text= new char[currentSize+1];
for (size_t i = 0; i < currentSize; i++)
{
text[i] = data[i];
}
text[currentSize + 1] = 0;
return text;
}

Answer 1

Your problem is caused by calling delete [] on uninitialized memory.
In the copy constructor, the data member is not initialized before calling getData(). In getData(), you are using delete [] data;.
You could initialize data to nullptr in the constructors to avoid the problem.
It's always a good idea to initialize all variables to some sensible value before the body of the constructor. E.g. you can implement the copy constructor as:
String::String(const String &other) : currentSize(0),
maxSize(other.maxSize),
data(nullptr)
{
getData(other.data, maxSize);
}
Similarly, implement the constructor from char const* as:
String::String(const char *other) : currentSize(0),
maxSize(strlen(other) *2),
data(nullptr)
{
getData(other, maxSize);
}