When Should You Use the `new` Keyword in C ?

When Do You Need the new Keyword in C ?

In C , you have two options for creating objects: using the new keyword or not.

Using new

MyClass* myClass = new MyClass();
myClass->MyField = "Hello world!";

• Allocates memory for the object on the heap (free store).
• Requires explicit deletion to free the allocated memory.
• Memory remains allocated until deleted, even if the object goes out of scope.

Not Using new

MyClass myClass;
myClass.MyField = "Hello world!";

• Allocates memory for the object on the stack.
• No explicit deletion required.
• Memory is freed automatically when the object goes out of scope.

Choice Considerations

Which method to use depends on your specific needs:

• Use new:

  • To create objects on the heap.
  • To return pointers to objects from functions.

• Don't use new:

  • To avoid managing memory manually and potential memory leaks.
  • To create objects that will not leave the current scope.

Additional Notes

• Using new requires using delete to free the allocated memory. This is to prevent memory leaks.
• new is commonly used to create objects on the heap, while not using new is typically used for stack-allocated objects.
• The stack has less memory capacity than the heap, so allocating too many objects on the stack can lead to a stack overflow.

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