Question

Over What period does the lifetime of a dynamically allocated variable last:

A. Until the program starts
B. Until the function ends
C. Until explicitly freed
D. Until the block scope ends

Answer 1

The lifetime of a dynamically allocated variable lasts until it is explicitly freed by the programmer, and not when a function ends or a block scope ends.

Step-by-step explanation:

The lifetime of a dynamically allocated variable lasts until it is explicitly freed by the programmer. This means that option C, 'Until explicitly freed,' is the correct answer. Dynamically allocated memory remains allocated in a program until it is explicitly released using the appropriate function or mechanism provided by the programming language, such as 'free()' in C or 'delete' in C++. This memory does not automatically get deallocated when a function ends or a block scope ends, which differentiates it from automatic storage duration (stack allocation), where variables are automatically destroyed once the function or block scope in which they are defined ends.