http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=54984
Bug #: 54984 Summary: Array allocated with new in a template class is default initialised Classification: Unclassified Product: gcc Version: 4.6.3 Status: UNCONFIRMED Severity: normal Priority: P3 Component: c++ AssignedTo: unassig...@gcc.gnu.org ReportedBy: malcolm.pars...@gmail.com $ cat a.cpp #include <stdlib.h> struct Foo { Foo(size_t size) : x(new char[size]) {} char *x; }; int main(int argc, char* argv[]) { size_t size = 1000000000; Foo foo(size); return(0); } $ cat b.cpp #include <stdlib.h> template <class T> struct Foo { Foo(size_t size) : x(new char[size]) {} char *x; }; int main(int argc, char* argv[]) { size_t size = 1000000000; Foo<char> foo(size); return(0); } gcc 4.6.3 decides that the array in the templated class needs to be initialised to 0. $ g++ -v Using built-in specs. COLLECT_GCC=g++ COLLECT_LTO_WRAPPER=/usr/lib/gcc/i686-linux-gnu/4.6/lto-wrapper Target: i686-linux-gnu Configured with: ../src/configure -v --with-pkgversion='Ubuntu/Linaro 4.6.3-1ubuntu5' --with-bugurl=file:///usr/share/doc/gcc-4.6/README.Bugs --enable-languages=c,c++,fortran,objc,obj-c++ --prefix=/usr --program-suffix=-4.6 --enable-shared --enable-linker-build-id --with-system-zlib --libexecdir=/usr/lib --without-included-gettext --enable-threads=posix --with-gxx-include-dir=/usr/include/c++/4.6 --libdir=/usr/lib --enable-nls --with-sysroot=/ --enable-clocale=gnu --enable-libstdcxx-debug --enable-libstdcxx-time=yes --enable-gnu-unique-object --enable-plugin --enable-objc-gc --enable-targets=all --disable-werror --with-arch-32=i686 --with-tune=generic --enable-checking=release --build=i686-linux-gnu --host=i686-linux-gnu --target=i686-linux-gnu Thread model: posix gcc version 4.6.3 (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.6.3-1ubuntu5) $ g++ -O2 a.cpp -o a $ g++ -O2 b.cpp -o b $ time ./a real 0m0.006s user 0m0.000s sys 0m0.004s $ time ./b real 0m4.732s user 0m2.676s sys 0m1.976s $ g++ -O2 -S a.cpp $ g++ -O2 -S b.cpp $ diff -u a.s b.s --- a.s 2012-10-19 11:37:35.280151921 +0100 +++ b.s 2012-10-19 11:37:13.803790575 +0100 @@ -1,10 +1,10 @@ - .file "a.cpp" + .file "b.cpp" .section .text.startup,"ax",@progbits .p2align 4,,15 .globl main .type main, @function main: -.LFB15: +.LFB13: .cfi_startproc pushl %ebp .cfi_def_cfa_offset 8 @@ -15,13 +15,21 @@ subl $16, %esp movl $1000000000, (%esp) call _Znaj + leal 1000000000(%eax), %edx + .p2align 4,,7 + .p2align 3 +.L2: + movb $0, (%eax) + addl $1, %eax + cmpl %edx, %eax + jne .L2 xorl %eax, %eax leave .cfi_restore 5 .cfi_def_cfa 4, 4 ret .cfi_endproc -.LFE15: +.LFE13: .size main, .-main .ident "GCC: (Ubuntu/Linaro 4.6.3-1ubuntu5) 4.6.3" .section .note.GNU-stack,"",@progbits gcc 4.4.3 did not initialise the array in either class. $ g++ -v Using built-in specs. Target: x86_64-linux-gnu Configured with: ../src/configure -v --with-pkgversion='Ubuntu 4.4.3-4ubuntu5.1' --with-bugurl=file:///usr/share/doc/gcc-4.4/README.Bugs --enable-languages=c,c++,fortran,objc,obj-c++ --prefix=/usr --enable-shared --enable-multiarch --enable-linker-build-id --with-system-zlib --libexecdir=/usr/lib --without-included-gettext --enable-threads=posix --with-gxx-include-dir=/usr/include/c++/4.4 --program-suffix=-4.4 --enable-nls --enable-clocale=gnu --enable-libstdcxx-debug --enable-plugin --enable-objc-gc --disable-werror --with-arch-32=i486 --with-tune=generic --enable-checking=release --build=x86_64-linux-gnu --host=x86_64-linux-gnu --target=x86_64-linux-gnu Thread model: posix gcc version 4.4.3 (Ubuntu 4.4.3-4ubuntu5.1) $ g++ -O2 a.cpp -o a $ g++ -O2 b.cpp -o b $ time ./a real 0m0.003s user 0m0.004s sys 0m0.000s $ time ./b real 0m0.003s user 0m0.000s sys 0m0.000s I don't expect the array to be initialised unless requested by adding "()": new char[size]()