Chapter 17: Problem 32

\(\mathrm{T} \quad \mathrm{F} \quad\) A class that builds a linked list should destroy the list in the class destructor.

Short Answer

Expert verified

Explain your answer. Answer: Yes, a class that builds a linked list should destroy the list in its class destructor. This is important because deallocating the memory occupied by the linked list nodes and performing other cleanup tasks in the destructor helps prevent memory leaks and ensures that the program utilizes memory efficiently.

Step by step solution

Understanding Linked Lists

A linked list is a data structure used to store a collection of data. Each element in a linked list is called a node, which consists of two parts: the data part (that contains the value) and the reference part (which points to the next node in the list).

Understanding Class Destructors

A destructor is a special member function of a class that is executed whenever an object of that class is destroyed. The destructor has the same name as the class, but it is prefixed with a tilde (~) character. The main purpose of a destructor is to deallocate the memory occupied by the object and perform other cleanup tasks.

Importance of Destroying Linked List in Destructor

When a linked list is used, memory is dynamically allocated to create new nodes during the program's execution. If the list is not destroyed properly, this can lead to memory leaks, which can cause the program to take up more memory than it needs. To avoid memory leaks, it is important to ensure that the linked list is properly destroyed when the class object goes out of scope or is explicitly deleted.

Decision and Explanation

Based on the analysis, the statement "A class that builds a linked list should destroy the list in the class destructor" is \(\mathrm{T}\) (True). This is because deallocating the memory occupied by the linked list nodes and performing other cleanup tasks in the destructor helps prevent memory leaks and ensures that the program utilizes memory efficiently.

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\(\mathrm{T} \quad \mathrm{F} \quad\) A class that builds a linked list should destroy the list in the class destructor.

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Understanding Linked Lists

Understanding Class Destructors

Importance of Destroying Linked List in Destructor

Decision and Explanation

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