How does memory management work in structs and classes?

How does memory management work in structs and classes?

Memory management in structs and classes involves how memory is allocated and deallocated for these data types. In languages like C++, structs are typically allocated on the stack, while classes are often allocated on the heap. This affects their lifetime and how they are accessed.

What are the implications of stack vs heap allocation?

Stack allocation is faster and automatically managed, but has limited size and scope. Heap allocation is more flexible and can handle larger data, but requires manual management to avoid memory leaks.

Can you explain how constructors and destructors play a role?

Certainly! Constructors initialize memory when an object is created, while destructors free up memory when an object goes out of scope or is deleted. This helps manage resources effectively.

What happens if I forget to free memory in a class?

If you forget to free memory in a class, it can lead to memory leaks, where the allocated memory is not returned to the system, potentially exhausting available memory over time.