WTF is a StackOverFlow Exception?

[AlTech]

So I was trying out something and I came across a "StackOverFlowException was unhandled". What even is StackOverFlowException?

 

I can't seem to replicate it.

[alexboz]

I believe stack overflow is when you have too much data in the stack, aka local variables.

[themctipers]

something to do with minecraft

 

[AlTech]

1 minute ago, alexboz said:

I believe stack overflow is when you have too much data in the stack, aka local variables.

Ah ok.

 

Do you know much about WMI?

[SnowyMus]

Stack overflows basically mean that the call stack has run out of room. One cause can be if your program is nested too deep in functions, like if you're doing something recursively, or if you've attempted to allocate too much data in the stack.

[alexboz]

1 minute ago, AluminiumTech said:

Do you know much about WMI?

idk what WMI even is

[AlTech]

Just now, alexboz said:

idk what WMI even is

My bad...........

[banger]

The stack is a data type which works using last if fist out. The Wikipedia image is very clear. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stack_(abstract_data_type)

 

Every time you call a function the local variables get put (push) on a stack. If the function completes the variables can be retrieved (pop) from the stack. But if you call too many functions the stack will grow very big. This is when an exception gets thrown. It is very common that this happens if you call a function recursively.

Like this

 

function A(){

    A()

}

 

You can use recursion if you make sure it does not go too deep.

Hope this helps.

[Unimportant]

Automatic variables are also put on the stack, so large automatic objects can also cause stack overflows:

 

void Foo()
{
	int LargeArray[10000000]; //<== possible cause of stack overflow...
  				  //...Huge objects should be dynamically 
  				  //allocated on the heap.

}

This is, of course, also true for a single object if that single object tries to do the same internally.