Dynamic Memory Allocation Routines

This topic lists all dynamic memory management routines. These functions are platform independent.

Routine	Description	Type
System.AllocMem	System.AllocMem allocates a memory block and initializes each byte to zero.	Standard function.
System.Dispose	Releases memory allocated for a dynamic variable.	Compiler Built-in. System._Dispose or System._FreeMem is called.
System.Finalize	Uninitializes a dynamically allocated variable.	Compiler Built-in.
System.FreeMem	System.FreeMem frees a memory block.	Compiler Built-in. System._FreeMem is called.
System.FreeMemory	System.FreeMemory frees a memory block.	Standard function.
System.GetMem	System.GetMem allocates a memory block.	Compiler Built-in. System._GetMem is called.
System.GetMemory	System.GetMemory allocates a memory block.	Standard function.
System.Initialize	System.Initializes a dynamically allocated variable.	Compiler Built-in. System._Initialize, System._InitializeArray or System._InitializeRecord is called.
System.New	Creates a new dynamic variable and sets P to point to it.	Compiler Built-in. System._GetMem or System_New is called.
System.ReallocMem	System.ReallocMem reallocates a memory block.	Compiler Built-in. System._ReallocMem is called.
System.ReallocMemory	System.ReallocMemory resizes a memory block.	Standard function.

FreeMem procedure

procedure FreeMem(var P: Pointer; [ Size: Integer]);

This procedure is a Delphi-built-in function, not defined in System.pas. The procedure has two overloaded forms:

procedure FreeMem(var P: Pointer); overload; procedure FreeMem(var P: Pointer; Size: NativeInt); overload;

Delphi compiler still allows using second form with Size parameter, but the current RTL doesn't use Size parameter to validate memory block.