Data Structure and
Algorithms
Author: Hafiz Abdul Rehman
Instructor: Hafiz Abdul Rehman
Lecture 03 – Dynamic Memory Allocation
Dynamic Memory Allocation
• Dynamic memory allocation refers to allocating
memory at runtime, as opposed to compile-time.
• It allows us to create data structures whose size
is determined during program execution.
Static VS Dynamic Array
Static Array:
• A static array has a fixed size that is determined at compile time.
• You declare it by specifying the array's data type, name, and size.
int myArray[5]; // Declares an integer array with 5 elements
Dynamic Array (using pointers):
• A dynamic array's size can be determined at runtime, and it is typically
allocated on the heap using pointers.
• You need to use new operator to allocate memory for the array
int* dynamicArray = new int[10]; // Declares a dynamic integer array with 10
elements
// Don't forget to delete it when done to prevent memory leaks
delete[] dynamicArray;
Why Dynamic Arrays
int numbers[10];
int numbers[100];
int numbers[1000];
int numbers[10000];
int numbers[100000];
int numbers[??];
Dynamic Memory Allocation of Array
• Determine the Size of the array at runtime.
Example
Int size;
// Ask the user for the size of the array
std::cout << "Enter the size of the array: ";
std::cin >> size;
Int* numbers = new int[size]
Resizing of Dynamic Array
Why Dynamic Resizing is Necessary?
1. In many cases, the size of data structures is not known in advance.
2. Fixed-size arrays can be inefficient or impractical.
Dynamic Resizing Strategies
Discuss common strategies for dynamic resizing:
1. Doubling the array size when it's full.
2. Halving the array size when it's less than a certain threshold.
3. Using a growth factor for resizing.
Resizing of Dynamic Array (Expand)
int size = 2; // Initial size of the array
int* dynamicArray = new int[size]; // Create an initial array of size 2
int count = 0; // Keep track of the number of elements in the array
While (true){
// Ask the user to enter an element or exit
int element;
What if Array is full??
std::cout << "Enter an element (-1 to exit): ";
std::cin >> element;
if (element == -1) { break; // Exit the loop }
// Add the element to the array Do something here..
dynamicArray[count] = element;
count++;
}
Resizing of Dynamic Array
// Check if the array is full
if (count == size) {
// Create a new array with double the size
// Copy elements from the old array to the new array
// Delete the old array and update the pointer
// Update the size to the new size
}
Resizing of Dynamic Array
// Check if the array is full
if (count == size) {
// Create a new array with double the size
int* newDynamicArray = new int[size * 2];
// Copy elements from the old array to the new array
for (int i = 0; i < size; i++) {
newDynamicArray[i] = dynamicArray[i]; }
// Delete the old array and update the pointer
delete[] dynamicArray;
dynamicArray = newDynamicArray;
// Update the size to the new size
size *= 2;
}
Resizing of Dynamic Array (Shrink)
// Check if the array is below a threshold
if (count < size / 2) {
// Create a new array with half the size
// Copy elements from the old array to the new array
// Delete the old array and update the pointer
// Update the size to the new size
}
Resizing of Dynamic Array (Shrink)
// Check if the array is below a threshold
if (count < size / 2) {
// Create a new array with half the size
int* newDynamicArray = new int[size / 2];
// Copy elements from the old array to the new array
for (int i = 0; i < count; i++) {
newDynamicArray[i] = dynamicArray[i];
}
// Delete the old array and update the pointer
delete[] dynamicArray;
dynamicArray = newDynamicArray;
// Update the size to the new size
size /= 2;
}
