University of Central Florida (UCF) COP3330 Object Oriented Programming Final Practice Exam

A destructor is a special member function of a class that is automatically called when an object goes out of scope or is explicitly deleted. Its primary role is to release resources that the object may be holding, such as dynamic memory, file handles, or network connections.

The potential drawback of a destructor that leads to resource leaks if implemented incorrectly is significant. If a destructor fails to adequately release all resources that an object has acquired, those resources remain allocated, resulting in memory leaks or other resource management issues. This is particularly crucial in languages with manual memory management, where failing to free up resources can lead to performance problems over time.

Beyond this, if destructors are incorrectly coded—perhaps due to a lack of proper handling, redundant releases, or neglecting to release certain resources—developers risk creating situations where resources remain unnecessarily occupied, ultimately compromising the program's efficiency and reliability. Therefore, understanding the correct implementation and responsibilities associated with destructors is essential for safe and effective resource management in object-oriented programming.