problem with realloc

**vippstar@gmail.com** · Jun 27 '08, 07:34 PM

Re: problem with realloc

On May 3, 7:21 pm, Igal <igal.al...@gma il.comwrote:

hay, i'm doing this program. having problem wiht realloc in the
function that reads data structures into array (pointer - bp2), this
happens after reading the second record. when call to realloc.
i can't figure out what's wrong, think it's soming got to do with
freeing bp2.
and something called "corruption of the heap".
>
book* LoadBookData(un signed *size)
{
FILE* fp;
int n = 0;
book *bp2 = NULL;
>
//open book data file
fp=fopen("book. bin","rb");
if (fp == NULL)
{
bp2 = (book*)calloc(0 , sizeof(book));
return bp2;

Don't cast calloc. I'm not sure what the results of calloc(0, N) are,
but if they are similar of malloc(), then that pointer is not really
reliable.
You most likely want something like this:
return calloc(0, sizeof book);

}
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< HERE>>>>>>>>>>> >>>

Comment your code with /* */

bp2 = realloc(bp2, sizeof(book));

That's actually a malloc(), since bp2 was initialized to NULL before,
and realloc(NULL, N) is equal to malloc(N)

if (bp2 == NULL) { perror("ERROR [realloc - LoadBookData()]");
exit(ERR_REALOC ); }

Are you sure you want to exit here? And what is the value of
ERR_REALOC?

>
//read data from file
while(fread(bp2 ,sizeof(book),1 ,fp) == 1)
{
if(ferror(fp)) { perror("ERROR [book.bin - read - LoadBookData()]");

fread() can't return the count (third parameter) if an error in the
stream occurs.

exit(ERR_FREAD) ; }

Memory leak here, you don't free `bp2'.

bp2 = bp2 - n;
n++;

Why?

>
bp2 = realloc(bp2, sizeof(book));

If `bp2' doesn't point to a pointer returned by realloc, malloc or
calloc, realloc() will produce undefined results (unless `bp2's value
is NULL)
But I *see* what you are trying to do, here's the actual logic:
size_t n = 0;
back:
if(fread(&bp2[n], sizeof bp2[0], 1, fp) != 1) { /* handle error or EOF
*/ }
n++;
bp2 = realloc(bp2, n+1 * sizeof bp2[0]);
if(bp2 == NULL) { /* ... */ }
goto back;

**Guest** · Jun 27 '08, 07:34 PM

Re: problem with realloc

"Igal" <igal.alkon@gma il.comwrote in message
news:5392c5d0-dd97-484b-930a-4f34db38bc1a@e3 9g2000hsf.googl egroups.com...

hay, i'm doing this program. having problem wiht realloc in the
function that reads data structures into array (pointer - bp2), this
happens after reading the second record. when call to realloc.
i can't figure out what's wrong, think it's soming got to do with
freeing bp2.
and something called "corruption of the heap".
>
book* LoadBookData(un signed *size)
{
FILE* fp;
int n = 0;
book *bp2 = NULL;
>
//open book data file
fp=fopen("book. bin","rb");
if (fp == NULL)
{
bp2 = (book*)calloc(0 , sizeof(book));
return bp2;
}
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< HERE>>>>>>>>>>> >>>
bp2 = realloc(bp2, sizeof(book));
if (bp2 == NULL) { perror("ERROR [realloc - LoadBookData()]");
exit(ERR_REALOC ); }
>
//read data from file
while(fread(bp2 ,sizeof(book),1 ,fp) == 1)
{
if(ferror(fp)) { perror("ERROR [book.bin - read - LoadBookData()]");
exit(ERR_FREAD) ; }
bp2 = bp2 - n;
n++;
>
bp2 = realloc(bp2, sizeof(book));
if (bp2 == NULL) { perror("ERROR [realloc - LoadBookData()]");
exit(ERR_REALOC ); }
>
bp2 = bp2 + n;
}
>
//close book data file
if (fclose(fp)==EO F)
{ perror("ERROR [book.bin - close - LoadBookData()]]");
exit(ERR_FCLOSE ); }
>
*size = n;
>
return bp2;
}`

Say hey.

Jim

**Joe Wright** · Jun 27 '08, 07:34 PM

Re: problem with realloc

Igal wrote:

hay, i'm doing this program. having problem wiht realloc in the
function that reads data structures into array (pointer - bp2), this
happens after reading the second record. when call to realloc.
i can't figure out what's wrong, think it's soming got to do with
freeing bp2.
and something called "corruption of the heap".
>
book* LoadBookData(un signed *size)
{
FILE* fp;
int n = 0;
book *bp2 = NULL;
>
//open book data file
fp=fopen("book. bin","rb");
if (fp == NULL)
{
bp2 = (book*)calloc(0 , sizeof(book));
return bp2;
}
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< HERE>>>>>>>>>>> >>>
bp2 = realloc(bp2, sizeof(book));
if (bp2 == NULL) { perror("ERROR [realloc - LoadBookData()]");
exit(ERR_REALOC ); }
>
//read data from file
while(fread(bp2 ,sizeof(book),1 ,fp) == 1)
{
if(ferror(fp)) { perror("ERROR [book.bin - read - LoadBookData()]");
exit(ERR_FREAD) ; }
bp2 = bp2 - n;
n++;
>
bp2 = realloc(bp2, sizeof(book));
if (bp2 == NULL) { perror("ERROR [realloc - LoadBookData()]");
exit(ERR_REALOC ); }
>
bp2 = bp2 + n;
}
>
//close book data file
if (fclose(fp)==EO F)
{ perror("ERROR [book.bin - close - LoadBookData()]]");
exit(ERR_FCLOSE ); }
>
*size = n;
>
return bp2;
}

The two arguments to calloc are multiplied to form the size of the
allocation. calloc(0 * sizeof (book)) yields size 0.

--
Joe Wright
"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."
--- Albert Einstein ---

**Ulrich Eckhardt** · Jun 27 '08, 07:34 PM

Re: problem with realloc

Igal wrote:

hay, i'm doing this program. having problem wiht realloc in the
function that reads data structures into array (pointer - bp2), this
happens after reading the second record. when call to realloc.
i can't figure out what's wrong, think it's soming got to do with
freeing bp2.
and something called "corruption of the heap".
>
book* LoadBookData(un signed *size)
{
FILE* fp;
int n = 0;
book *bp2 = NULL;
>
//open book data file
fp=fopen("book. bin","rb");
if (fp == NULL)
{
bp2 = (book*)calloc(0 , sizeof(book));
return bp2;
}

* Don't cast calloc/malloc/realloc etc.
* Why assign to bp2 at all?
* There is no way that your code can signal an error here, i.e. the calling
code can't distinguish between a non-existant and empty file.

bp2 = realloc(bp2, sizeof(book));
if (bp2 == NULL) { perror("ERROR [realloc - LoadBookData()]");
exit(ERR_REALOC ); }

Here, you exit on realloc() failure, above, you return NULL when calloc()
fails. I'd suggest using some kind of xalloc().

//read data from file
while(fread(bp2 ,sizeof(book),1 ,fp) == 1)

Note: the binary layout of structures depends on the compiler and system. It
is for sure not easily portable to store binary dumps of structures in a
file like that.

{
if(ferror(fp)) { perror("ERROR [book.bin - read - LoadBookData()]");
exit(ERR_FREAD) ; }
bp2 = bp2 - n;
n++;
>
bp2 = realloc(bp2, sizeof(book));

Problem here: the pointer you pass to realloc() _MUST_ have been acquired by
a former call to realloc()/malloc(). Suggestion:

book tmp;
while(read_book ( &tmp, fp)) {
bp2 = xrealloc( bp2, (n+1)*(sizeof *bp2));
bp2[n++] = tmp;
}

cheers

Uli

**Igal** · Jun 27 '08, 07:34 PM

Re: problem with realloc

If `bp2' doesn't point to a pointer returned by realloc, malloc or
calloc, realloc() will produce undefined results (unless `bp2's value
is NULL)
But I *see* what you are trying to do, here's the actual logic:
size_t n = 0;
back:
if(fread(&bp2[n], sizeof bp2[0], 1, fp) != 1) { /* handle error or EOF
*/ }
n++;
bp2 = realloc(bp2, n+1 * sizeof bp2[0]);
if(bp2 == NULL) { /* ... */ }
goto back;

thanks, this helped a lot. i just didn't know i can use bp2 just as
normal array.

**vippstar@gmail.com** · Jun 27 '08, 07:35 PM

Re: problem with realloc

On May 4, 2:53 am, Igal <igal.al...@gma il.comwrote:

If `bp2' doesn't point to a pointer returned by realloc, malloc or
calloc, realloc() will produce undefined results (unless `bp2's value
is NULL)
But I *see* what you are trying to do, here's the actual logic:
size_t n = 0;
back:
if(fread(&bp2[n], sizeof bp2[0], 1, fp) != 1) { /* handle error or EOF
*/ }
n++;
bp2 = realloc(bp2, n+1 * sizeof bp2[0]);
if(bp2 == NULL) { /* ... */ }
goto back;

>
thanks, this helped a lot. i just didn't know i can use bp2 just as
normal array.

Depends, in this case you can.
Read section 6 of the FAQ <http://c-faq.com/which explains arrays/
pointers and then read the rest of the FAQ.

**Barry Schwarz** · Jun 27 '08, 07:35 PM

Re: problem with realloc

On Sat, 3 May 2008 09:33:17 -0700 (PDT), vippstar@gmail. com wrote:

>On May 3, 7:21 pm, Igal <igal.al...@gma il.comwrote:

>hay, i'm doing this program. having problem wiht realloc in the
>function that reads data structures into array (pointer - bp2), this
>happens after reading the second record. when call to realloc.
>i can't figure out what's wrong, think it's soming got to do with
>freeing bp2.
>and something called "corruption of the heap".
>>
>book* LoadBookData(un signed *size)
>{
> FILE* fp;
> int n = 0;
> book *bp2 = NULL;
>>
> //open book data file
> fp=fopen("book. bin","rb");
> if (fp == NULL)
> {
> bp2 = (book*)calloc(0 , sizeof(book));
> return bp2;

>Don't cast calloc. I'm not sure what the results of calloc(0, N) are,
>but if they are similar of malloc(), then that pointer is not really
>reliable.
>You most likely want something like this:
return calloc(0, sizeof book);

book is a type. The parentheses are required. Other than the cast
and parentheses, your code is identical to the OP's. Surely not your
intent.

Remove del for email

**vippstar@gmail.com** · Jun 27 '08, 07:35 PM

Re: problem with realloc

On May 4, 7:51 am, Barry Schwarz <schwa...@dqel. comwrote:

On Sat, 3 May 2008 09:33:17 -0700 (PDT), vipps...@gmail. com wrote:

On May 3, 7:21 pm, Igal <igal.al...@gma il.comwrote:

hay, i'm doing this program. having problem wiht realloc in the
function that reads data structures into array (pointer - bp2), this
happens after reading the second record. when call to realloc.
i can't figure out what's wrong, think it's soming got to do with
freeing bp2.
and something called "corruption of the heap".

>

book* LoadBookData(un signed *size)
{
FILE* fp;
int n = 0;
book *bp2 = NULL;

>

//open book data file
fp=fopen("book. bin","rb");
if (fp == NULL)
{
bp2 = (book*)calloc(0 , sizeof(book));
return bp2;

Don't cast calloc. I'm not sure what the results of calloc(0, N) are,
but if they are similar of malloc(), then that pointer is not really
reliable.
You most likely want something like this:
return calloc(0, sizeof book);

>
book is a type. The parentheses are required. Other than the cast
and parentheses, your code is identical to the OP's. Surely not your
intent.

Yes you are right, thanks for pointing that out.
return calloc(1, sizeof bp2);
`book' is confusing as a type. Maybe book_t or Book. Regardless, my
mistake.

**Ulrich Eckhardt** · Jun 27 '08, 07:37 PM

Re: problem with realloc

vippstar@gmail. com wrote:

On May 4, 7:51 am, Barry Schwarz <schwa...@dqel. comwrote:

>On Sat, 3 May 2008 09:33:17 -0700 (PDT), vipps...@gmail. com wrote:

>You most likely want something like this:
return calloc(0, sizeof book);

>>
>book is a type. The parentheses are required. Other than the cast
>and parentheses, your code is identical to the OP's. Surely not your
>intent.

Yes you are right, thanks for pointing that out.
return calloc(1, sizeof bp2);

Still wrong, bp2 is a pointer. You probably meant *bp2. However, that then
spoils the whole relation because it isn't used to initialise bp2. No, in
the elided original source, bp2 can well be removed completely, so using
sizeof (book) should work.

`book' is confusing as a type. Maybe book_t or Book. Regardless, my
mistake.

I beg to differ. I also don't need int_t or Integer. YMMV.

Uli

**santosh** · Jun 27 '08, 07:37 PM

Re: problem with realloc

Ulrich Eckhardt wrote:

vippstar@gmail. com wrote:

>On May 4, 7:51 am, Barry Schwarz <schwa...@dqel. comwrote:

>>On Sat, 3 May 2008 09:33:17 -0700 (PDT), vipps...@gmail. com wrote:
>>You most likely want something like this:
> return calloc(0, sizeof book);
>>>
>>book is a type. The parentheses are required. Other than the cast
>>and parentheses, your code is identical to the OP's. Surely not
>>your intent.

>Yes you are right, thanks for pointing that out.
>return calloc(1, sizeof bp2);

>
Still wrong, bp2 is a pointer. You probably meant *bp2. However, that
then spoils the whole relation because it isn't used to initialise
bp2. No, in the elided original source, bp2 can well be removed
completely, so using sizeof (book) should work.
>

>`book' is confusing as a type. Maybe book_t or Book. Regardless, my
>mistake.

>
I beg to differ. I also don't need int_t or Integer. YMMV.

Also identifiers ending with a '_t' are reserved by POSIX. A pretty wide
sweep if you ask me.