From: Hal Fulton <hal9000@...>
Date: 2005-10-05T13:20:49+09:00
Subject: Re: Monitoring total memory usage?

Andrew Backer wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> I need to monitor the memory usage of a ruby script, and I would like
> to see if I can do it with within the program itself, or from a monitor
> script also in ruby.  Is there a way to do this?  Using school as an
> excuse to learn ruby, and this is one part of it.

Hmm. The GC must know something about this, but I don't think it
exposes it. Maybe it should?

Or maybe it's possible to make a system call or something? Of course,
a little Heisenberg gets thrown in...

Failing that, you *might* be able to traverse object space somehow
and add up the memory usage. I wouldn't want to do it.

> just thought i'd throw my 2c in
> 1) no true reference parameters is a pain (how do i write a swap!)
> 2) a,b = b,a is the coolest thing ( oh, thats how! )

:) Yes. You can also pass in arrays (whose contents can be changed). I
don't recommend using arrays or any other such thing as though it were
a real reference parameter, though. Usually when I (start to) want
ref params, I just return multiple values from the method instead.

> 3) array wrapping can be an error and is not to be allowed sometimes
> 4) (can I turn it off?)

Wrapping?

> 5) it is so easy to extend built in classes! ( added an array.resize()

Exercise normal caution when using this feature. :)

> 6) why is there no serious formatting support built into the objects? I
> guess I'm spoiled by C# now.

Formatting? You mean like in output?

Do you know about:

     p object

and

     require 'pp'
     pp object
?


Cheers,
Hal