A simple test app:
cout << new int[0] << endl;
outputs:
0x876c0b8
So it looks like it works. What does the standard say about this? Is it always legal to "allocate" empty block of memory?
From 5.3.4/7
When the value of the expression in a direct-new-declarator is zero, the allocation function is called to allocate an array with no elements.
From 3.7.3.1/2
The effect of dereferencing a pointer returned as a request for zero size is undefined.
Also
Even if the size of the space requested [by new] is zero, the request can fail.
That means you can do it, but you can not legally (in a well defined manner across all platforms) dereference the memory that you get - you can only pass it to array delete - and you should delete it.
Here is an interesting foot-note (i.e not a normative part of the standard, but included for expository purposes) attached to the sentence from 3.7.3.1/2
[32. The intent is to have operator new() implementable by calling malloc() or calloc(), so the rules are substantially the same. C++ differs from C in requiring a zero request to return a non-null pointer.]