From: Eliot Miranda <eliotm@...>
Date: 2008-02-21T11:15:00+09:00
Subject: Re: GC error ?

Piotr Sawicki wrote:
> Rados��aw Bu��at wrote:
>> You refer to cycles inside method "leaker". But this method always
>> creates the same amount of objects so I don't see reason why ruby eats
>> more and more memory for each "leaker" call.
> 
> Haw gc works ? Here is pseudocode:
> 
> malloc_limit = 8_000_000
> malloc_increase = 0;
> 
> malloc(size)
> {
>    malloc_increase += size;
>    if (malloc_increase > malloc_limit)
>      garbage_collect()
> }
> 
> garbage_collect()
> {
>    malloc_limit = malloc_limit + (malloc_increase - malloc_limit) * 
> some_factor
>    malloc_increase = 0
> }

In my day they were called libraries.  Now its called "wikipedia".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garbage_collection_%28computer_science%29

But efore you read up, ask yourself how you *think* it might work.  One 
hint.  Its paradoxical.  To first collect garbage you could identify 
everything you don't wan to throw away.

HTH

-- 
The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in      Calvin &
the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us.       Hobbes.
--
Eliot     ,,,^..^,,,    Smalltalk - scene not herd