Deleting self object inside class [duplicate]

Question

Possible Duplicate:
C++: Delete this?

In C++, is it ok to delete the self object in function definition. What are side effects of this?

class MyClass {

public:
    void ~myClass() {}
    void myFunction() { 
        // logic here
        delete this;
    }
}

Thanks!

Answer 1

From parashift FAQ:

Is it legal (and moral) for a member function to say delete this?

As long as you're careful, it's OK for an object to commit suicide (delete this).

Here's how I define "careful":

• You must be absolutely 100% positively sure that this object was allocated via new (not by new[], nor by placement new, nor a local object on the stack, nor a global, nor a member of another object; but by plain ordinary new).

• You must be absolutely 100% positively sure that your member function will be the last member function invoked on this object.

• You must be absolutely 100% positively sure that the rest of your member function (after the delete this line) doesn't touch any piece of this object (including calling any other member functions or touching any data members).

Naturally the usual caveats apply in cases where your this pointer is a pointer to a base class when you don't have a virtual destructor.

Answer 2

You may delete an object from within itself, but it is necessary that you do not, afterward, access any member variables or functions of that class instance after doing so.

Answer 3

It's pretty dangerous. Consider this:

void foo() {
   MyClass bar;
   bar.myFunction(); // calls delete
}  // bar goes out of scope, calls delete again

Check out this C++FAQ 16.15 entry for when doing delete this is possible - it's legal, just needs to be used bery carefully.