What's the Difference Between `delete` and `delete[]` in C Memory Management?

The Distinction Between delete and delete[] in C

In C , distinguishing between the delete and delete[] operators is crucial. Understanding their differences ensures proper memory management and avoids undefined behavior.

delete vs delete[]: Functionality and Undefined Behavior

According to the C standard (5.3.5/2), the delete operator is designed to deallocate a singular non-array object or a sub-object representing a base class of such an object. Conversely, delete[] handles arrays, specifically the pointer value resulting from a previous array new-expression.

Attempting to use delete[] on a single object or delete on an array results in undefined behavior. This behavior is not predictable and can lead to program errors or crashes.

Usage Considerations

Based on this distinction, there are situations where delete is appropriate:

• Deleting a pointer to a non-array object allocated with new (e.g., deleting a pointer to a single dynamically allocated object).
• Deleting a pointer to a sub-object representing a base class of a non-array object (e.g., if a class has multiple inheritance and a pointer to a derived class object is available, delete can be used on that pointer to delete the base class sub-object).

In all other cases, delete[] should be used to ensure correct memory deallocation and evitar undefined behavior.

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