Pointers

Deallocating Dynamic Memory

Reclaiming a pointer variable does not automatically reclaim the object to which it points.
(Common Error 10.4) A memory block that is not deallocated is called a memory leak.
Leaked memory can cause the heap to run out of memory.
- Program crashes.
- Computer freezes up.
When a pointer is defined it points to a random address; using this random address causes and error.
```
Employee* boss;
string name = boss->get_name(); // NO!! boss contains a random address
```

After you delete the value attached to a pointer, you can no longer use that address.

delete boss;
string name = boss->get_name(); // NO!! boss points to a deleted element

(Common Error 10.3) Such pointers are called dangling because they do not point to a valid object.