std::set_new_handler (3) Linux Manual Page

std::set_new_handler – std::set_new_handler

Synopsis

Defined in header <new>
std::new_handler set_new_handler( std::new_handler new_p ) throw(); (until C++11)
std::new_handler set_new_handler( std::new_handler new_p ) noexcept; (since C++11)
Makes new_p the new global new-handler function and returns the previously installed new-handler.
The new-handler function is the function called by allocation_functions whenever a memory allocation attempt fails. Its intended purpose is one of three things:
1) make more memory available
2) terminate the program (e.g. by calling std::terminate)
3) throw exception of type std::bad_alloc or derived from std::bad_alloc.
The default implementation throws std::bad_alloc. The user can install his own new-handler, which may offer behavior different than the default one.
If new-handler returns, the allocation function repeats the previously-failed allocation attempt and calls the new-handler again if the allocation fails again. To end the loop, new-handler may call std::set_new_handler(nullptr): if, after a failed allocation attempt, allocation function finds that std::get_new_handler returns a null pointer value, it will throw std::bad_alloc.
At program startup, new-handler is a null pointer.
This function is thread-safe. Every call to std::set_new_handler synchronizes-with (see std::memory_order) the subsequent std::set_new_handler and std::get_new_handler calls. (since C++11)

Parameters

new_p – pointer to function of type std::new_handler, or null pointer

Return value

The previously-installed new handler, or a null pointer value if none was installed.

Example

// Run this code

#include <iostream>

#include <new>
void handler()

{
    std::cout << "Memory allocation failed, terminating\n";
    std::set_new_handler(nullptr);
}
int main()

{
    std::set_new_handler(handler);
    try {
        while (true) {
            new int[100000000ul];
        }
    } catch (const std::bad_alloc &e) {
        std::cout << e.what() << '\n';
    }
}

Output:

  Memory allocation failed, terminating
  std::bad_alloc

See also

                allocation functions
operator_new (function)
operator_new[]
get_new_handler obtains the current new handler
                (function)
(C++11)
                function pointer type of the new handler
new_handler (typedef)
                exception thrown when memory allocation fails
bad_alloc (class)