The question is, in C++, how do detect if an object is allocated on the stack or heap. On Windows, the stack address is in the range of 0x80000000. If the address of the variable is in this range, then you could say that the object is allocated on the stack; else it is allocated on the heap. This technique of detecting is not preferrable since it may not work on other operating systems (such as linux), and deals with the platform specific information making it a non-portable solution. Let us try to use standard C++ stuff to solve the problem. Ok, we want to know where an object is allocated. In C++, new operator is responsible for allocating an object. It was very thoughtful of Stroustoup to keep the object allocation and initialization\construction separate. new operator is responsible only for allocation. The compiler is responsible for woving up the code for allocation and calling the constructor. It was also very thoughtful of being able to specify the location where the
Another effective [debugging] technique is to explain your code to someone else. This will often cause you to explain the bug to yourself. Sometimes it takes no more than a few sentences, followed by an embarrassed "Never mind. I see what's wrong. Sorry to bother you." This works remarkbly well; you can even use non-programmers as listeners. - From "The Practice of Programming" by Brian W Kernighan & Rob Pike.