Device device;

void setup() 
{
    device = Device();
}

Device Header

Preset* Presets[];

Device Source

Device::Device():
    NumPresets(numPresets),
    NumPatterns(numPatterns)
{
    *Presets = (Preset*)malloc(sizeof(Preset) * NumPresets);

    for (int p = 0; p < NumPresets; p++)
    {
        Presets[p] = new Preset("test", NumPixels, NumPatterns);
    }   
}

Preset Header

Pattern* Patterns[];

Preset Source

Preset::Preset(char* name, int numPixels, int numPatterns):
    NumPatterns(numPatterns),
    NumPixels(numPixels)
{
    *Patterns = (Pattern*)malloc(sizeof(Pattern) * NumPatterns);

    for (int p = 0; p < NumPatterns; p++)
    {
        Patterns[p] = new Pattern(NumPixels);
    }
}

Pattern Source

Pattern::Pattern(int numPixels): NumPixels(numPixels){  }

Up until the initialization of the Presets everything seems to be working fine, no crashes or aparent memory overflows. But when it gets to Patterns[p] = new Pattern(NumPixels); , the for cycle never stops till the memory runs out.

I guess i am not doing these initializations correctly, can you see the mistake?

#include "LedDevice.h"

LedDevice device;

void setup() {
  device = LedDevice(10, 10, 10);
}

void loop() {
  Serial.println(F("Ticking"));
  device.Tick();
  delay(500);
}

LedDevice

#if !defined(_LEDDEVICE_H)
#define _LEDDEVICE_H

#include "Preset.h"
#include<Arduino.h>

class LedDevice {
public:
  Preset* Presets[];

  LedDevice(){}
  LedDevice(int numPixels, int numPresets, int numPatterns)
  {
    *Presets = (Preset*)malloc(sizeof(Preset) * numPresets);
  
    for (int p = 0; p < numPresets; p++)
    {
      Presets[p] = new Preset("test", numPixels, numPatterns);
    }
  }

  void Tick()
  {
    Serial.print(F("Preset ")); Serial.println(Presets[0]->Name);
    Presets[0]->Tick();
  }
};

#endif  //_LEDDEVICE_H

Preset

#if !defined(_PRESET_H)
#define _PRESET_H

#include "Pattern.h"

class Preset {
public:
  char *Name;
  int NumPatterns;
  Pattern* Patterns[];
  
  Preset(char* name, int numPixels, int numPatterns) : NumPatterns(numPatterns)
  {
    Name = (char *)malloc(strlen(name) + 1);
    strcpy(Name, name);

    *Patterns = (Pattern*)malloc(sizeof(Pattern) * NumPatterns);

    for (int p = 0; p < NumPatterns; p++)
    {
      Patterns[p] = new Pattern(numPixels);
    }
  }

  void Tick()
  {
    for (int p = 0; p < NumPatterns; p++)
    {
      Patterns[p]->Tick();
    }
  }
};

#endif

Pattern

#if !defined(_PATTERN_H)
#define _PATTERN_H

class Pattern {
public:

  Pattern(int numPixels){}

  void Tick(){}
};

#endif

The code compiles but when i run the full version (this is a simplified version of the code) i get some strange behavior, so i would like to know if i am doing the initialization of the Presets and Patterns correctly.

Also when i try to print the Preset name in the LedDevice Tick function i get strange characters, so either i am not initializing the string correctly or the pointers to the Presets are wrong.

Can you tell if anything is not being done correctly in the constructors?