wchar t - Returning a wchar_t in C++ -

i'm making function return pointer wchar_t, returns nothing each time use it.

function:

wchar_t *character::getcharhealth() {     wchar_t charhealth[256];     swprintf_s(charhealth, l"%d", this->gethealth());     wprintf(l"%s\n", charhealth);     wchar_t* chealth = charhealth;     return chealth; } 

the gethealth() function:

int character::gethealth() {     return this->health; } 

where used:

spritefont->drawstring(spritebatch.get(), warrior->getcharhealth(), directx::simplemath::vector2(40, 0)); 

is there wrong code?

you returning pointer array that's out of scope, that's, wchar_t charhealth[256] belongs getcharhealth() once it's done running it's undefined behaviour access charhealth array again.

what try allocate dynamic buffer charhealth , return instead:

wchar_t *character::getcharhealth() {     wchar_t* charhealth = new wchar_t[256];     swprintf_s(charhealth, l"%d", this->gethealth());     wprintf(l"%s\n", charhealth);     return charhealth; } 

you must remember delete[] when no longer needed:

wchar_t* chealth = warrior->getcharhealth(); spritefont->drawstring(spritebatch.get(), chealth, directx::simplemath::vector2(40, 0)); delete[] chealth; 

that's error prone might forget delete[]. instead use std::unique_ptr<wchar_t[]> automatically deletes pointer on destruction. that's technique called raii if no familiar with.

but really, should use std::wstring std::to_wstring convert number int std::wstring, since such object contains proper string storage optimizations , takes care of allocation might necessary.

std::wstring character::getcharhealth() {     std::wstring charhealth = std::to_wstring(this->gethealth());     wprintf(l"%s\n", charhealth.c_str());     return charhealth; } 

to access raw const wchar_t* std::wstring should use .c_str() method, so:

spritefont->drawstring(spritebatch.get(), warrior->getcharhealth().c_str(), directx::simplemath::vector2(40, 0));