Weird Pointer issue in C++

Question

I'm running into a VERY frustrating pointer issue. I previously posted here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3114997/tough-dealing-with-deeply-nested-pointers-in-c

But that post got overly long and is stale, so I chose to repost with more details.

Here is my header file that defines my types:

#include <string>
#include <vector>
#include <sstream>
#include <iostream>

#define USE_3D_GEOM
//#define USE_2D GEOM

#define DEBUG

#ifdef USE_3D_GEOM
 #define DIMENSIONS 3
#elif USE_2D_GEOM
 #define DIMENSIONS 2
#else
 #define DIMENSIONS 1
#endif

#ifndef _COMMON_H
#define _COMMON_H

template<class T>
inline T from_string(const std::string& s)
{
     std::istringstream stream (s);
     T t;
     stream >> t;
     return t;
};

template <class T>
inline std::string to_string (const T& t)
{
std::stringstream ss;
ss << t;
return ss.str();
}

enum e_ensemble_kind 
{
  MICROCANONICAL,
  CANONICAL,
  NVT,
  GRAND_CANONICAL,
  NPT,
  NVE
};

enum e_potential_kind 
{
  HARD_SPHERE,
  SQUARE_WELL,
  LENNARD_JONES
};

enum e_file_types
{
  MC_SIMPLE,
  NAMD,
  GROMACS,
  CHARMM
};

#ifdef USE_3D_GEOM
typedef struct s_coordinates t_coordinates;
#endif

#ifdef USE_2D_GEOM
typedef struct s_coordinates t_coordinates;
#endif

typedef struct s_particle t_particle;

typedef struct s_bond t_bond;

typedef struct s_angle t_angle;


typedef struct s_dihedral t_dihedral;

typedef struct s_molecule t_molecule;

typedef struct s_lj_param t_lj_param;

typedef struct s_bond_param t_bond_param;

typedef struct s_angle_param t_angle_param;

typedef struct s_dih_param t_dih_param;

typedef struct s_lookup_tab t_lookup_tab;

#ifdef USE_3D_GEOM
struct s_coordinates
{
  double x;
  double y;
  double z;

  s_coordinates& operator+(const s_coordinates &to_add)
  {
    x += to_add.x;
    y += to_add.y;
    z += to_add.z;
    return *this;
  }
  s_coordinates& operator-(const s_coordinates &to_subtract)
  {
    x -= to_subtract.x;
    y -= to_subtract.y;
    z -= to_subtract.z;
    return *this;
  }
  s_coordinates& operator=(const s_coordinates &to_assign)
  {
    x = to_assign.x;
    y = to_assign.y;
    z = to_assign.z;
    return *this;
  }
  bool operator==(const s_coordinates &to_assign)
  {

    return x == to_assign.x && y == to_assign.y && z == to_assign.z;
  }
};
#endif

#ifdef USE_2D_GEOM
struct s_coordinates
{
  double x;
  double y;

  s_coordinates& operator+(const s_coordinates &to_add)
  {
    x += to_add.x;
    y += to_add.y;
    return *this;
  }
  s_coordinates& operator-(const s_coordinates &to_subtract)
  {
    x -= to_subtract.x;
    y -= to_subtract.y;
    return *this;
  }
  s_coordinates& operator=(const s_coordinates &to_assign)
  {
    x = to_assign.x;
    y = to_assign.y;
    return *this;
  }
  bool operator==(const s_coordinates &to_assign)
  {

    return x == to_assign.x && y == to_assign.y;
  }
};
#endif

typedef struct s_particle
{
  t_coordinates position;
  double charge;
  double mass;
  std::string name;
  std::vector<t_lj_param>::iterator my_particle_kind_iter;

  s_particle& operator=(const s_particle &to_assign)
  {
    position = to_assign.position;
    charge = to_assign.charge;
    mass = to_assign.mass;
    name = to_assign.name;
    my_particle_kind_iter = to_assign.my_particle_kind_iter;
    return *this;
  }
} t_particle;

struct s_bond
{
  t_particle * particle_1;
  t_particle * particle_2;
  std::vector<t_bond_param>::iterator my_bond_kind_iter;

  s_bond& operator=(const s_bond &to_assign)
  {
    particle_1 = to_assign.particle_1;
    particle_2 = to_assign.particle_2;
    my_bond_kind_iter = to_assign.my_bond_kind_iter;
    return *this;
  }
};

struct s_angle
{
  t_particle * particle_1;
  t_particle * particle_2;
  t_particle * particle_3;
  std::vector<t_angle_param>::iterator my_angle_kind_iter;

  s_angle& operator=(const s_angle &to_assign)
  {
    particle_1 = to_assign.particle_1;
    particle_2 = to_assign.particle_2;
    particle_3 = to_assign.particle_3;
    my_angle_kind_iter = to_assign.my_angle_kind_iter;
    return *this;
  }
};


struct s_dihedral
{
  t_particle * particle_1;
  t_particle * particle_2;
  t_particle * particle_3;
  t_particle * particle_4;
  std::vector<t_dih_param>::iterator my_dih_kind_iter;

  s_dihedral& operator=(const s_dihedral &to_assign)
  {
    particle_1 = to_assign.particle_1;
    particle_2 = to_assign.particle_2;
    particle_3 = to_assign.particle_3;
    particle_4 = to_assign.particle_4;
    my_dih_kind_iter = to_assign.my_dih_kind_iter;
    return *this;
  }
};

struct s_molecule
{
  std::string res_name;
  std::vector<t_particle> my_particles;
  std::vector<t_bond> my_bonds;
  std::vector<t_angle> my_angles;
  std::vector<t_dihedral> my_dihedrals;

  s_molecule& operator=(const s_molecule &to_assign)
  {
    res_name = to_assign.res_name;
    my_particles = to_assign.my_particles;
    my_bonds = to_assign.my_bonds;
    my_angles = to_assign.my_angles;
    my_dihedrals = to_assign.my_dihedrals;
    return *this;
  }
};

struct s_lj_param
{
  double epsilon;
  double sigma;
  std::string atom_kind_name;
};

struct s_bond_param
{
  std::string atom_1;
  std::string atom_2;
  double bond_coeff;
  double default_length;
};

struct s_angle_param
{
  std::string atom_1;
  std::string atom_2; 
  std::string atom_3;
  double angle_coeff;
  double default_angle;
};

struct s_dih_param
{
  std::string atom_1;
  std::string atom_2; 
  std::string atom_3; 
  std::string atom_4;  
  std::vector<double> dih_coeff;
  std::vector<unsigned int> n;
  std::vector<double> delta;
};

struct s_lookup_tab {
  std::string name;
  int code;
};

#endif /*_COMMON_H*/

And here is a call that I make to add a var of type t_molecule (see above header for t_molecule's definition) to an array of molecules.

    void Molecule_Manager_Main::add_molecule(const t_molecule new_molecule)
{
    std::cout << "TYPE :" << new_molecule.res_name << std::endl; 
    std::cout << "3: BOND PARTICLE 1 : "
      << new_molecule.my_bonds[new_molecule.my_bonds.size()-1].particle_1->name
          << std::endl;  
    std::cout << "3: BOND PARTICLE 2 : "
    << new_molecule.my_bonds[new_molecule.my_bonds.size()-1].particle_2->name
          << std::endl; 
    std::cout << "3: BOND ITER CONST : "
    << new_molecule.my_bonds[new_molecule.my_bonds.size()-1].my_bond_kind_iter->bond_coeff
          << " "
    << new_molecule.my_bonds[new_molecule.my_bonds.size()-1].my_bond_kind_iter->default_length
          << std::endl;
    my_molecules.push_back(new_molecule);
    std::cout << "99: INDEX : " << my_molecules.size()-1 << std::endl;
    std::cout << "TYPE :" << my_molecules[my_molecules.size()-1].res_name << std::endl; 
    std::cout << "4: BOND PARTICLE 1 : "
          << my_molecules[my_molecules.size()-1].my_bonds[my_molecules[my_molecules.size()-1].my_bonds.size()-1].particle_1->name
          << std::endl;  
    std::cout << "4: BOND PARTICLE 2 : "
    << my_molecules[my_molecules.size()-1].my_bonds[my_molecules[my_molecules.size()-1].my_bonds.size()-1].particle_2->name
          << std::endl; 
    std::cout << "4: BOND ITER CONST : "
    << my_molecules[my_molecules.size()-1].my_bonds[my_molecules[my_molecules.size()-1].my_bonds.size()-1].my_bond_kind_iter->bond_coeff
          << " "
    << my_molecules[my_molecules.size()-1].my_bonds[my_molecules[my_molecules.size()-1].my_bonds.size()-1].my_bond_kind_iter->default_length
          << std::endl;
  add_performed = true;
}

This works perfectly... the resname string prints, and the info on the last bond in the bonds vector prints. Then once I've added all my molecules. I call this:

t_molecule * Molecule_Manager_Main::get_molecule(unsigned int index)
{
    std::cout << "TYPE :" << my_molecules[index].res_name << std::endl; 
    std::cout << "5: BOND PARTICLE 1 : "
      << my_molecules[index].my_bonds[my_molecules[index].my_bonds.size()-1].particle_1->name
          << std::endl;  
    std::cout << "5: BOND PARTICLE 2 : "
    << my_molecules[index].my_bonds[my_molecules[index].my_bonds.size()-1].particle_2->name
          << std::endl; 
    std::cout << "5: BOND ITER CONST : "
    << my_molecules[index].my_bonds[my_molecules[index].my_bonds.size()-1].my_bond_kind_iter->bond_coeff
          << " "
    << my_molecules[index].my_bonds[my_molecules[index].my_bonds.size()-1].my_bond_kind_iter->default_length
          << std::endl;
  return &(my_molecules[index]);
} 

This segfaults on the bonds line.

I can tell from the indices I print in the add step that I'm not overwriting the molecules I'm pushing onto the vector (the size is growing)..

In other words what appears to be happening is: Read sub-vector (works) -> add some more items in parent vector -> reread sub-vector (seg-faults)

These functions are the ONLY means for molecules vars to be added to the vector, and molecules vars are only added once and not modified posthumously in my current test.

Any ideas???? Thank you in advance!!

Answer 1

Just reading that you access a varaible called my_bond_kind_iter. After you add some more items in the parent vector, it will resize. This means (assuming that you don't have C++0x rvalue-aware containers) that the child vector will also be copied, invalidating all existing pointers and references into it. So when you try to access this old iterator that is now thoroughly invalid, hello segmentation fault. This will of course also happen if you add more into the child vector.

Vector iterators are not safe, you cannot keep them around and access them later, because vectors resize which means moving memory, and this happens at the whim of the implementation.

Answer 2

In the different objects you store iterators to access the elements in some vectors. These iterators get invalidated when the underlying vector is modified, for example by adding new elements. Dereferencing such an iterator is undefined behavior.

Probably you modify the vectors for which you have stored iterators when you add new molecules and using these iterators later on leads to the segmentation faults.

Answer 3

I would be you, I would heavily refactor this code.

Most of the time when I get a problem like yours (and it's becoming very rare) I refactor the code until I see clearly the problem. Here, there is too much repetitions that can clearly be avoided. Use typedefs, references, consts to avoid repetitions.

Refactoring allow you to reorganise your code and your thought, simplify, make problems obvious. Take time to do this and you'll find the source of the problem.

That might be out of this code.

(about refactoring, i recommend reading this : http://sourcemaking.com/refactoring )

Answer 4

I will recommend to avoid subscript operator (p. ex. my_molecules[index]) while writing trace code (but not restrictive to trace code), prefer at() member function.