Re: Memory leaks

[Bill C <billc netspace net au>]

On 10/02/11 19:50, Costin Chirvasuta wrote:
> I'm sorry, I now understand what you mean. If what you say is true
> (which I don't doubt) it's a really boneheaded mechanism in my
> opinion. Defragmenting memory in realtime is a performance nightmare.
> But that's irrelevant. Your point is well taken.
To describe the standard mechanism of garbage collection as a boneheaded 
idea shows a total lack of awareness of first year Computer Science 
course principles.  That garbage collection has been refined and highly 
optimised over the years is true;  however it is a very necessary thing 
with modern compiler technology.  Less so in the days of Cobol


Liam - To have a problem with freeing up memory prior to exiting 
suggests that either you have a memory leak, or a bad design  (or 
both).  It might be your development environment.

I once came across a compiler for a virtual memory minicomputer that 
implemented free() as a empty procedure.  It allowed the system to keep 
allocating ram until the disc was full of swapped pages.  My company 
lost  a benchmark because it could not run the program.  Our competitor 
run it but very slowly.  The slights of hand, by definition are unseen.  
The compiler time to market was faster, and I never heard that the issue 
became public knowledge, or was fixed.

Rgds Bill