HeapAlloc

[Cliff Nichols]

I am trying to understand the heap, and the allocation deallocation and related, but all examples I seem to find use examples such as

FUNCTION = HeapAlloc(GetProcessHeap(), %HEAP_ZERO_MEMORY, MAX( 16, nSize + 1))

Which is the best one I have seen cause to my knowledge "MAX( 16, nSize + 1))" would mean "To choose which is greater? 16? or SIZEOF(datatype)"

The problem being, I do NOT like hardcoded values with no explanation of what the value means. So I have to ask

• Why 16? (some minimum value? or what is the real equates?)
• nSize (obvious from examples is the size) but why the add one? (I can only guess for an added null, or a zero-vs-one based concept or something

I am sure its in the docs somewhere, but either I am having a CNDS or just not understanding, so hopefully someone can explain it???

[Michael Mattias]

I would bet dollars to donuts that was some 'C' programmer covering a body part against attempting to allocate SIZEOF(something) which was zero and he was too lazy to check the return.

Correct use is

pData = HeapAlloc (hHEap, flags, size).
IF ISFALSE pData THEN 
    E = GetLastError  
    yadda yadda 
ELSE
    CONTINUE       ' <<< a great verb, available in COBOL. 
                        ' for all those places where "something" is required but 
                        ' you really don't need do anything. 
END IF

FWIW, these are usable...
malloc, realloc, free for PB/Win32 September 20, 2002

Think of these as HeapAlloc with a better user interface.

MCM

[Michael Mattias]

Oh, wait a minute, I can see it already.... some ASM-head is going to post...

MACRO CONTINUE  = !NOP