Trouble getting memory allocated for char* in c++

Question

So I\'m having trouble allocating memory for a char* being passed into the constructor of my shape class, I keep getting an error saying \"malloc: * error for object 0x

Answer 1

This is your problem:

this->shapeName = (char*) new char(strlen(name)+1);

You're making a single char, and setting its value to strlen(name)+1. The strcpy() then overruns the end of the (single-byte) allocation, and the heap structure 'delete' tries to operate on is broken.

This is what you want instead (different brackets):

this->shapeName = new char[strlen(name)+1];

Also, there is a special 'array delete' you must use if you want to be correct:

delete[] shapeName;