In c++ what does a tilde "~" before a function name signify?

Question

 template <class T>
 class Stack
 {
 public:
    Stack(int = 10) ; 
    ~Stack() { delete [] stackPtr ; }  //<--- What does the "~" signify?
    int push(const T&); 
    int pop(T&) ;  
    int isEmpty()const { return top == -1 ; } 
    int isFull() const { return top == size - 1 ; } 
 private:
    int size ;  
    int top ;  
    T* stackPtr ;  
 } ;

Answer 1

It's the destructor, it destroys the instance, frees up memory, etc. etc.

Here's a description from ibm.com:

Destructors are usually used to deallocate memory and do other cleanup for a class object and its class members when the object is destroyed. A destructor is called for a class object when that object passes out of scope or is explicitly deleted.

See http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/comphelp/v8v101/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.xlcpp8a.doc/language/ref/cplr380.htm

Answer 2

This is a destructor. It's called when the object is destroyed (out of life scope or deleted).

To be clear, you have to use ~NameOfTheClass like for the constructor, other names are valid.

Answer 3

It's a destructor. The function is guaranteed to be called when the object goes out of scope.

Answer 4

That would be the destructor(freeing up any dynamic memory): http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/comphelp/v8v101/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.xlcpp8a.doc/language/ref/cplr380.htm

Answer 5

It the destructor. This method is called when the instance of your class is destroyed:

Stack<int> *stack= new Stack<int>;
//do something
delete stack; //<- destructor is called here;

Answer 6

As others have noted, in the instance you are asking about it is the destructor for class Stack.

But taking your question exactly as it appears in the title:

In c++ what does a tilde “~” before a function name signify?

there is another situation. In any context except immediately before the name of a class (which is the destructor context), ~ is the one's complement (or bitwise not) operator. To be sure it does not come up very often, but you can imagine a case like

if (~getMask()) { ...

which looks similar, but has a very different meaning.