Lab 14 · Structures and Dynamic Memory

Module 14 · Lectures L27–L28 · Week 14 · 120 minutes · guided/independent 40/60

Prerequisites: completion of Labs 1–13 (Lab 1: none). Bring your laptop with the course toolchain verified (see § 3) and your exercise notebook.

2. Learning objectives

By the end of this lab you can:

• Define structs and manipulate record arrays
• Allocate and free arrays with new[]/delete[]
• Explain leak, use-after-delete, and double-delete hazards
• Justify std::vector as the default managed alternative

These deliver the module's outcomes (PF codes in ../../LEARNING_OUTCOMES.md).

3. Required software and compiler

• Compiler contract: g++ -std=c++17 -Wall -Wextra -pedantic (GCC 13+ via MSYS2/MinGW-w64 on Windows; GCC or clang++ on macOS/Linux — see ../../docs/TOOLCHAIN.md).
• Editor: any (VS Code + C/C++ extension recommended; debugger optional until Lab 4).
• Verify before starting:

  g++ --version

• Starter files for this lab live in starter_code/ next to this manual; they compile warning-free under the contract (see ../../../docs/LAB_AUDIT.md).

4. Relevant theory

struct records, ownership, hazards explained + RAII alternative — full treatment in the lecture notes; the lab applies it, the lecture explains it.

5. Pre-lab questions

Answer in your notebook BEFORE the session; the TA checks them at entry:

1. Why must delete[] pair with new[]?
2. What does p = nullptr right after delete accomplish?
3. Which code frees a std::vector, and when?

6. Instructor demonstration (15 min)

The instructor or TA demonstrates: struct records, new/delete with the RAII alternative. Watch for the workflow (how errors are read and fixed), not just the final code. The demo ends with the checkpoints you must hit in § 7.

7. Guided coding tasks

1. guided: struct definition + record copy on assignment
2. guided: new[]/delete[] with the null-out discipline (explained)
3. independent: Student record array sorted by GPA
4. independent: rebuild the same program with std::vector — compare

Checkpoint rule: show each guided result to the TA before moving on. TAs give guidance, not solutions (../../TEACHING_GUIDE.md § 5).

8. Independent programming exercises

Complete the tasks labeled independent in § 7 without step-by-step help. You may consult lecture notes and this manual — not a neighbor's screen. The TA records who completes what.

9. Debugging task

Leak hunt: classify 3 supplied snippets, fix with RAII or paired delete

Use the five-step debug loop (reproduce, isolate, hypothesize, test, fix-and-verify) and record it in your debug log (../../labs/resources/debug_log_template.md) from Lab 4 onward. Identify the stage of each defect (compile, link, runtime, logic).

10. Test cases

Your program must pass at minimum:

• Boundary values (0, 1, maximum legal input).
• Normal cases from the task descriptions.
• At least one invalid input handled gracefully (from Lab 4 onward).

Record results in the test-evidence table (../../labs/resources/submission_template.md): input, expected, actual, verdict.

11. Expected learning outcomes

After this lab, verified by the checkpoints and your submission, you can reliably define structs and manipulate record arrays; allocate and free arrays with new[]/delete[]; explain leak, use-after-delete, and double-delete hazards; justify std::vector as the default managed alternative. This maps to the module's PF outcomes and feeds the next lab's prerequisites.

12. Submission requirements

Submit via the course LMS before the start of next week's lab:

1. Source file(s) named per the task list (snake_case).
2. Test-evidence table (completed template).
3. Debug log for the § 9 task (Lab 4 onward).
4. Pre-lab answers (photo or scan is fine).

Code must compile warning-free under the course contract — a warning costs the compile check (§ 13).

13. Assessment rubric (10 points)

Total 10, scaled to the 10 % course component. Labs 1–15 count the best 12 of 15 (drop-lowest); Lab 16 is graded as the project milestone with the same rubric plus the demo (see the instructor notes).