• seany (37/37) Jun 24 2021 I have a struct :
• Dennis (6/33) Jun 24 2021 Your variable `a[] rd_flattened;` is a local variable to function

seany <seany uni-bonn.de> writes:

I have a struct :

     struct a {
        int i;
        // some more stuff ...
     }

In a Class, I define public global `void * dataSet; `

In a function `f`, of the same class:  i call :

     void f() {
     a[] rd_flattened;	
     a[] * rd;	

     // DO SOME WORK HERE ....

     this.dataSet = & rd_flattened;	
     rd = cast (a [] *)  dataSet;

     write("length of rd is : "); writeln((*rd).length); // <--- 
this works..
     // do some work on rd

     this.dataSet = rd;
     rd = cast (field.rawData [] *)  dataSet;

     write("length of rd for a second time is : ");
     writeln((*rd).length); // <--- this ALSO works..
     }

Now outside `f`, in the same class, i call :

     void f2() {

     f();

     a[] *aa ;
     aa = cast (a [] *)  this.dataSet; // recall dataset is public 
global
     // if i print the address of this.dataSet here, this is the 
same as inside f()
     write("after calling f, count is: "); writeln((*aa).length); 
readln();
     // here the situation completely blows up . the length is 
wrong.
     }


I need some help here. Sorry, can't post code. It is proprietary.

What is causing this issue ?

thank you.

Dennis <dkorpel gmail.com> writes:

On Thursday, 24 June 2021 at 14:06:11 UTC, seany wrote:
  void f() {
         a[] * rd;	

     // DO SOME WORK HERE ....

     this.dataSet = & rd_flattened;	
     rd = cast (a [] *)  dataSet;

     write("length of rd is : "); writeln((*rd).length); // <--- 
 this works..
     // do some work on rd

     this.dataSet = rd;
     rd = cast (field.rawData [] *)  dataSet;

     write("length of rd for a second time is : ");
     writeln((*rd).length); // <--- this ALSO works..
     }

 Now outside `f`, in the same class, i call :

     void f2() {

     f();

     a[] *aa ;
     aa = cast (a [] *)  this.dataSet; // recall dataset is 
 public global
     // if i print the address of this.dataSet here, this is the 
 same as inside f()
     write("after calling f, count is: "); 
 writeln((*aa).length); readln();
     // here the situation completely blows up . the length is 
 wrong.
     }

 What is causing this issue ?

Your variable `a[] rd_flattened;` is a local variable to function 
`f()` allocated on the stack. Stack memory expires as soon as you 
return from the function. What `f2()` accesses through your 
global variable is a dangling pointer, a pointer to the expired 
stackframe of `f()`, which is why the `.length` is garbage.