Re^12: Techniques On Saving Memory

japhy,
I think we should keep code reuse in mind here. Writing code that solves a specific task often involves intermediate steps. Divorcing the intermediate steps from the specific task allows others to reuse the intermediate steps for their specific task.

In other words, BrowserUk and I would both like to see a canned solution that would allow someone to stringify a reference, keep the memory around until needed, allow us to convert the string back into a reference, and release the memory when finished. This is unlikely going to be very useful to the general public, but some of the intermediate steps might be. I say 2 modules, 1 that provides all the XS basics and the second that ties them together for the specific task outlined above.

As BrowserUk mentioned elsewhere in this thread. Even the implementation I proposed doesn't mean you can't get into trouble easily.

Cheers - L~R

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Re^13: Techniques On Saving Memory by japhy (Canon) on Mar 10, 2005 at 20:06 UTC
Ok, then I offer this: here is XS code for two functions, conceal() and reveal(). (I'm not attached to the names, I just wanted a pair of names that vaguely explained their purpose.) `int conceal(int var) CODE: SvREFCNT_inc((SV ) var); RETVAL = var; OUTPUT: RETVAL SV reveal(char str_or_addr) CODE: char hex; int addr = (hex = rindex(str_or_addr, 'x')) ? strtol(++hex, NULL, 16) : atoi(str_or_addr); RETVAL = newRV((SV ) addr); SvREFCNT_dec((SV ) addr); OUTPUT: RETVAL` [download] How's that? Here's a sample use of the code: `use Devel::Reference; my $x = [1,2,3]; my $addr = Devel::Reference::conceal($x); # the refcount of [1,2,3] is now 2 undef $x; # the refcount of [1,2,3] is now 1 my $y = Devel::Reference::reveal($addr); # the refcount of [1,2,3] REMAINS at 1 print "@$y\n"; # "1 2 3"` [download] As for all that other satellite data, that could be provided, but this is the crux of the functionality. All it's really lacking right now is sanity checking, to make sure the address is recoverable when in reveal(). _____________________________________________________ Jeff `japhy` Pinyan, P.L., P.M., P.O.D, X.S.: Perl, regex, and `perl` hacker How can we ever be the sold short or the cheated, we who for every service have long ago been overpaid? ~~ Meister Eckhart	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^13: Techniques On Saving Memory by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Mar 10, 2005 at 19:45 UTC
I don't see any reason to make two modules at all. This is not "general public" functionality. As I've said, almost all of this functionality is already available in a mix'm'match of various existing modules. The only reason I can see for a new module would be to put all the required functionality into one place--but that's just my opinion which has just as much worth as you choose to give it:) Examine what is said, not who speaks. Silence betokens consent. Love the truth but pardon error. Lingua non convalesco, consenesco et abolesco.	[reply]