Memory Allocation in C++

In C, you use malloc(), free() and variants of malloc() to allocate and free memory, but these functions have their pitfalls. Therefore C++ introduced operators for handling memory, these operators are called new and delete. These operators allocates and frees memory from the heap (or sometimes called the free store) at runtime.

In C++, you should always use new and delete unless you're really forced to use malloc() and free(). But be aware that you cannot mix the two. You cannot malloc() memory, and then delete it afterwards, likewise you can't "new" memory, and then free it with free().