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Defect Report: Default Array-placement-new unusable due to unknowable memory requirement

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Summary: The following code can never be correct:

     #include<new>

     void * addr = ???
     T * p = ::new (addr) T[N];

The problem is that it is impossible to know how much memory to allocate for addr at ???.


Details:

This problem was most recently highlighted by StackOverflow user MooingDuck, and adherent community discussion, in this
question:

http://stackoverflow.com/q/8720425/596781

The problem stems from two requirements of the standard. The first is that the default placement-new expression for
arrays calls the default placement-array-new allocation function:

     void * operator new[](std::size_t n, void * ptr);

Now 18.6.1.3/1 requires that this simply return ptr (i.e. "addr" in our example).

But the core problem comes from 5.3.4/12, which says that any conforming implementation is free to turn the "new"
expression from the example into a call to:

     p1 = ::operator new[](sizeof(T) * N + y, addr);

Here "y" is allowed to be any non-negative number which may differ for every invocation! Finally, p will be p1 + y, and
p1 == addr by the previous clause.

Thus construction of the T-objects starts at an *unspecified* and *unknowable* offset further down the allocated memory.
Since it is impossible to know the size of the offset y, it is also impossible to allocate the correct amount of memory,
and thus to use array-placement-new.

Note: This *only* affects the *default* version of the *global* array-placement-new. It is understood that other
placement versions may be endowed with additional size parameters that allow for safe checking.


The defect and its resolution:

The defect is that "y" is allowed to be non-zero for the global default array-placement-new expression. This should be
resolved by adding sentence to the standard that guarantees that the default global array-placement-new expression calls
::operator new[](sizeof(T) * N, ptr) without any addition.


I look forward to your opinions and feedback!

Best wishes,

Louis


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Defect Report: Default Array-placement-new unusable due to unknowable   memory requirement Louis Delacroix<joedoefawnbuck@gmail.com> - 2012-01-05 13:54 -0800
  Re: Defect Report: Default Array-placement-new unusable due to unknowable    memory requirement Daniel Krügler<daniel.kruegler@googlemail.com> - 2012-01-13 08:44 -0800
    Re: Defect Report: Default Array-placement-new unusable due to   unknowable    memory requirement yoursecretsaresafe@googlemail.com - 2013-01-12 11:24 -0800
      Re: Defect Report: Default Array-placement-new unusable due to unknowable memory requirement Daniel Krügler <daniel.kruegler@googlemail.com> - 2013-01-13 14:34 -0600

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