At 2:56 PM +0000 2/15/02, Alex Gough wrote:
>On Thu, 14 Feb 2002, Dan Sugalski wrote:
>
>> To allocate memory that is GCable, call Parrot_allocate(interpreter,
>> size). Then stash the pointer and size in your buffer header, or
>> it'll go missing later. To resize a chunk of memory, call
>> mem_realloc(interpreter, from, oldsize, newsize).
>
>Having to pass in the oldsize makes it very tricky to use wrappers
>around around mem_realloc which work when code isn't in parrot, is it
>not possible to have the memory pools themselves be a bit more like
>malloc/realloc in tracking allocated sizes (I imagine they need to do
>this anyway, if GC is to free chunks appropriately)?
Non-parrot code shouldn't be dealing with parrot-local memory that's
GCable without knowing about parrot data structures, including the
buffer structure. Since we may well (and will, to start) have a
copying collector, lack of knowledge will lead to nothing but pain as
we yank memory around. :)
> > If your buffer header can't be reached from the root set, you'll end
>> up having it reclaimed when a sweep is made.
>
>Which bits of a PMC count as being reachable from the root set?
PMC registers, stack, PMC register stack, bookkeeping structures, and
the global variable set. Everything should be reachable from there.
--
Dan
--------------------------------------"it's like this"-------------------
Dan Sugalski even samurai
[EMAIL PROTECTED] have teddy bears and even
teddy bears get drunk
