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Groups > comp.lang.c > #163545

Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it

From Bart <bc@freeuk.com>
Newsgroups comp.lang.c
Subject Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it
Date 2021-11-21 12:35 +0000
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <sndeel$atj$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References (12 earlier) <874k87q35r.fsf@nosuchdomain.example.com> <snaq53$voh$1@dont-email.me> <875ysmjsfz.fsf@nosuchdomain.example.com> <snc3a0$6gs$1@dont-email.me> <1bfsrqkxoz.fsf@pfeifferfamily.net>

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On 21/11/2021 03:13, Joe Pfeiffer wrote:
> Bart <bc@freeuk.com> writes:
> 
>> On 20/11/2021 23:52, Keith Thompson wrote:
>>> David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> writes:
>>>> On 19/11/2021 21:52, Keith Thompson wrote:
>>> [...]
>>>>> Perhaps -- but typically that information is not stored in the pointer
>>>>> itself.  If it were, all void* values would have to store that extra
>>>>> information.
>>>>>
>>>>> (I think it's easier to store bookkeeping data before the allocated
>>>>> space.  If you store it after the space, it's hard to know where it is.)
>>>>
>>>> That's the most common way for a simple malloc/free system.
>>>>
>>>> It has always struck me as a mistake that C did things that way - in my
>>>> opinion, "free" should have taken an additional parameter of the size
>>>> for the deallocation.
>>> Meh.  That would have introduced another rich source of programming
>>> errors (passing the wrong size).
>>
>> You could also pass the wrong size to malloc, or the wrong pointer to free.
>>
>>> Probably most implementations would
>>> have kept track of the size anyway, so they could detect errors.
>>
>> I doubt that, unless it's for debugging mode.
>>
>> If an application needs to allocate 100 million 32-byte nodes, which
>> would occupy 3.2GB by themselves, how much extra would be needed for
>> the size, 'just for checking'?
> 
> If that's what you're doing, you shouldn't be using malloc() for the
> individual nodes.

Why not; isn't that exactly what it's for?

And what is the alternative, to create a custom allocator?

>> On my machine that seems to be 16 bytes per node, so 50% more. 1.6GB
>> extra just so someone can write:
>>
>>     free(p);
>>
>> instead of:
>>
>>     free(p, sizeof(treenode));
>>
>> possibly in just one place in the program.
>>
>> It doesn't make sense.
> 
> Remember, you have to have all the data structures to keep track of the
> allocated space so malloc() will work.

Everyone is saying this; no one is explaining exactly why it needs to!

Are you saying that, unless an allocated block is tagged with a size, 
malloc has no idea which pool memory has been allocated and which hasn't?

I've written a few allocators over the years, they have never needed to 
record the size of a block.

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Thread

on why declare a struct with a single array in it Meredith Montgomery <mmontgomery@levado.to> - 2021-11-12 15:48 -0300
  Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Guillaume <message@bottle.org> - 2021-11-12 19:56 +0100
    Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2021-11-12 19:31 +0000
      Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-11-12 21:07 +0100
        Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it pozz <pozzugno@gmail.com> - 2021-11-18 15:53 +0100
          Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-11-18 16:13 +0100
            Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Manfred <noname@add.invalid> - 2021-11-18 16:26 +0100
              Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it pozz <pozzugno@gmail.com> - 2021-11-18 17:22 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Manfred <noname@add.invalid> - 2021-11-18 18:04 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Meredith Montgomery <mmontgomery@levado.to> - 2021-11-19 16:00 -0300
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-11-18 22:58 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Guillaume <message@bottle.org> - 2021-11-19 17:53 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-11-19 11:27 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2021-11-19 20:46 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-11-19 12:52 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-11-20 13:36 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-11-20 14:49 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-11-20 15:52 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-11-21 00:19 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-11-20 20:44 -0500
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-11-21 14:51 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Manfred <noname@add.invalid> - 2021-11-21 19:32 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-11-21 21:51 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Manfred <noname@add.invalid> - 2021-11-22 03:17 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-11-22 11:31 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2021-12-10 04:21 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-12-10 14:43 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-11-22 11:56 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2021-12-10 01:47 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-12-10 10:55 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-12-10 14:51 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2021-12-11 06:56 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-12-11 16:04 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-12-11 17:23 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2022-01-21 05:30 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2022-01-21 13:49 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2021-12-11 12:17 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2021-12-12 13:00 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2021-12-12 08:25 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2021-12-12 17:38 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Dick <thiebauddick2@aol.com> - 2021-12-12 16:19 -0500
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2021-12-13 08:06 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2021-12-13 01:30 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-12-13 09:34 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Robert Latest <boblatest@yahoo.com> - 2021-12-13 18:53 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2021-12-13 20:38 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2021-12-15 00:38 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2021-12-15 11:21 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2021-12-15 10:26 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-12-15 10:45 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-12-10 10:52 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Guillaume <message@bottle.org> - 2021-11-22 04:06 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-11-22 11:32 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-11-22 13:00 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2021-11-21 13:08 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-11-20 20:44 -0500
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-11-21 12:22 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2021-11-20 20:13 -0700
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-11-21 12:35 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2021-11-21 10:53 -0700
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-11-21 18:49 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2021-11-21 13:04 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-11-21 14:42 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Guillaume <message@bottle.org> - 2021-11-21 01:34 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-11-21 00:48 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2021-11-20 16:58 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-11-21 14:40 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2021-11-21 12:59 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2021-11-21 15:58 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2021-11-20 10:55 +0000
  Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2021-11-13 08:47 +0000
    Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Guillaume <message@bottle.org> - 2021-11-13 18:23 +0100
  Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Kaz Kylheku <480-992-1380@kylheku.com> - 2021-11-13 17:55 +0000
  Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2021-11-19 13:14 +0300
    Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Meredith Montgomery <mmontgomery@levado.to> - 2021-11-19 16:07 -0300

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