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# operator delete, operator delete[]

From cppreference.com
< cpp‎ | memory‎ | new

Defined in header `<new>` |  |
replaceable deallocation functions |  |
void operator delete ( void* ptr ); | (1) |
void operator delete[]( void* ptr ); | (2) |
void operator delete ( void* ptr, const std::nothrow_t& tag); | (3) |
void operator delete[]( void* ptr, const std::nothrow_t& tag); | (4) |
void operator delete(void* ptr, std::size_t sz) | (5) | (since C++14)
void operator delete[](void* ptr, std::size_t sz) | (6) | (since C++14)
void operator delete(void* ptr, std::size_t sz, const std::nothrow_t& tag) | (7) | (since C++14)
void operator delete[](void* ptr, std::size_t sz, const std::nothrow_t& tag) | (8) | (since C++14)
placement deallocation functions |  |
void operator delete ( void* ptr, void* place); | (9) |
void operator delete[]( void* ptr, void* place); | (10) |
void operator delete ( void* ptr, user-defined-args...); | (11) |
void operator delete[] ( void* ptr, user-defined-args...); | (12) |
class-specific deallocation functions |  |
void T::operator delete ( void* ptr ); | (13) |
void T::operator delete[]( void* ptr ); | (14) |
void T::operator delete ( void* ptr, std::size_t sz) | (15) |
void T::operator delete[]( void* ptr, std::size_t sz) | (16) |
void T::operator delete ( void* ptr, user-defined-args... ); | (17) |
void T::operator delete[]( void* ptr, user-defined-args... ); | (18) |

Deallocates storage previously allocated by a matching operator new. These deallocation functions are called by delete-expressions and by new-expressions to deallocate memory after destructing (or failing to construct) objects with dynamic storage duration. They may also be called using regular function call syntax.

1) Called by delete-expressions to deallocate storage previously allocated for a single object. The behavior of the standard library implementation of this function is undefined unless `ptr` is a null pointer or is a pointer previously obtained from the standard library implementation of operator new(size_t) or operator new(size_t, std::nothrow_t).
2) Called by delete[]-expressions to deallocate storage previously allocated for an array of objects. The behavior of the standard library implementation of this function is undefined unless `ptr` is a null pointer or is a pointer previously obtained from the standard library implementation of operator new[](size_t) or operator new[](size_t, std::nothrow_t).
3) Called by the non-throwing single-object new-expressions if a constructor of the object throws an exception. The standard library implementation behaves the same as (1)
4) Called by the non-throwing array new[]-expressions if a constructor of any object throws an exception (after executing the destructors of all objects in the array that were successfully constructed). The standard library implementation behaves the same as (2)
5-8) Called instead of (1-4) if a user-defined replacement is provided. The standard library implementations are identical to (1-4).
9) Called by the standard single-object placement new expression if the object's constructor throws an exception. The standard library implementation of this function does nothing.
10) Called by the standard array form of the placement new expression if any of the objects' constructors throws an exception (after executing the destructors of all objects that were constructed successfully). The standard library implementation of this function does nothing.
11) If defined, called by the custom single-object placement new expression with the matching signature if the object's constructor throws an exception. If a class-specific version (16) is defined, it is called in preference to (11). If neither (16) nor (11) is provided by the user, no deallocation function is called.
12) If defined, called by the custom array form of placement new[] expression with the matching signature if any of the objects' constructors throws an exception (after executing the destructors for all objects that were constructed successfully). If a class-specific version (17) is defined, it is called in preference to (12). If neither (17) nor (12) is provided by the user, no deallocation function is called
13) If defined, called by the usual single-object delete-expressions if deallocating an object of type T.
14) If defined, called by the usual array delete[]-expressions if deallocating an array of objects of type T.
15) If defined, and if (13) is not defined, called by the usual single-object delete-expressions if deallocating an object of type T.
16) If defined, and if (14) is not defined, called by the usual array delete[]-expressions if deallocating an array of objects of type T.
17) If defined, called by the custom single-object placement new expression with the matching signature if the object's constructor throws an exception. If this function is not provided, and a matching (11) is not provided either, no deallocation function is called.
18) If defined, called by the custom array form of placement new[] expression with the matching signature if any of the objects' constructors throws an exception (after executing the destructors for all objects that were constructed successfully). If this function is not provided, and a matching (12) is not provided either, no deallocation function is called.

In all cases, if `ptr` is a null pointer, the standard library deallocation functions do nothing. If the pointer passed to the standard library deallocation function was not obtained from the corresponding standard library allocation function, the behavior is undefined.

### [edit] Parameters

ptr | - | pointer to a memory area to deallocate or a null pointer
sz | - | the size that was passed to the matching allocation function
place | - | pointer used as the placement parameter in the matching placement new
tag | - | overload disambiguation tag matching the tag used by non-throwing operator new

### [edit] Return value

(none)

### [edit] Exceptions

(none) | (until C++11)
`noexcept` specification: noexcept | (since C++11)

### [edit] Global replacements

The versions (1-8) are implicitly declared in each translation unit even if the `<new>` header is not included. These functions are replaceable: a user-provided non-member function with the same signature defined anywhere in the program, in any source file, replaces the corresponding implicit version for the entire program. Its declaration does not need to be visible.

The behavior is undefined if more than one replacement is provided in the program or if a replacement is defined with the `inline` specifier, the program is ill-formed if a replacement is defined in namespace other than global namespace, or if it is defined as a static non-member function at global scope.

The single-object version (1) is called by the standard library implementations of all other versions (2-8), so replacing that one function is sufficient to handle all deallocations. | (since C++11)

Run this code

    #include <cstdio>
    #include <cstdlib>
    // replacement of a minimal set of functions:
    void* operator new(std::size_t sz) {
        std::printf("global op new called, size = %zu\n",sz);
        return std::malloc(sz);
    }
    void operator delete(void* ptr) noexcept
    {
        std::puts("global op delete called");
        std::free(ptr);
    }
    int main() {
         int* p1 = new int;
         delete p1;

         int* p2 = new int[10]; // guaranteed to call the replacement in C++11
         delete[] p2;
    }

Possible output:

    global op new called, size = 4
    global op delete called
    global op new called, size = 40
    global op delete called

Overloads of `operator delete` and `operator delete[]` with additional user-defined parameters ("placement forms", version 11-12) may be declared at global scope as usual, and are called by the matching placement forms of new-expressions if a constructor of the object that is being allocated throws an exception.

The standard library placement forms of operator delete (9-10) cannot be replaced and can only be customized if the placement new-expression did not use the `::new` syntax, by providing a class-specific placement delete (17,18) with matching signature: `void T::operator delete(void*, void*)` or `void T::operator delete[](void*, void*)`.

### [edit] Class-specific overloads

Deallocation functions (versions 13-16) may be defined as static member functions of a class. These deallocation functions, if provided, are called by delete-expressions when deleting objects (versions (13) and (15)) and arrays (versions (14) and (17)) of this class, unless the delete expression used the form `::delete` which bypasses class-scope lookup.

The delete expression looks for appropriate deallocation function's name firstly in the class scope, starting from the most derived type if the class is polymorphic, and after that in the global scope. Note, that as per name lookup rules, any deallocation functions declared in class scope hides all global deallocation functions. When deleting a polymorphic object, even though a different function may be executed at run time, the statically visible version of operator delete must be accessible in order to compile.

If the single-argument overload (13,15) is not provided, but the two-argument overload taking `std::size_t` as the second parameter (14,16) is provided, the two-argument form is called for normal deallocation, and the C++ runtime passes the size of the object to be deallocated as the second argument. If both forms are defined, the single-argument version is called.

Run this code

    #include <iostream>
    // sized class-specific deallocation functions
    struct X {
        static void operator delete(void* ptr, std::size_t sz)
        {
            std::cout << "custom delete for size " << sz << '\n';
            ::operator delete(ptr);
        }
        static void operator delete[](void* ptr, std::size_t sz)
        {
            std::cout << "custom delete for size " << sz << '\n';
            ::operator delete(ptr);
        }
    };
    int main() {
         X* p1 = new X;
         delete p1;
         X* p2 = new X[10];
         delete[] p2;
    }

Possible output:

    custom delete for size 1
    custom delete for size 18

Overloads of `operator delete` and `operator delete[]` with additional user-defined parameters ("placement forms", versions 17 and 18) may also be defined as class members. When the placement new expression with the matching signature looks for the corresponding placement delete function to call, it begins at class scope before examining the global scope, and if the class-specific placement delete is provided, it is called.

Run this code

    #include <stdexcept>
    #include <iostream>
    struct X {
        X() { throw std::runtime_error(""); }
        // custom placement new
        static void* operator new(std::size_t sz, bool b) {
            std::cout << "custom placement new called, b = " << b << '\n';
            return ::operator new(sz);
        }
        // custom placement delete
        static void operator delete(void* ptr, bool b)
        {
            std::cout << "custom placement delete called, b = " << b << '\n';
            ::operator delete(ptr);
        }
    };
    int main() {
       try {
         X* p1 = new (true) X;
       } catch(const std::exception&) { }
    }

Output:

    custom placement new called, b = 1
    custom placement delete called, b = 1

If class-level `operator delete` is a template function, it must have the return type of `void`, the first argument `void*`, and it must have two or more parameters. In other words, only placement forms can be templates.

### [edit] Notes

The call to the class-specific `T::operator delete` on a polymorphic class is the only case where a static member function is called through dynamic dispatch.

### [edit] See also

operator new operator new[] | allocation functions (function) [edit]
return_temporary_buffer | releases uninitialized storage (function)
free | deallocates memory (function)

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