From: Tim Pease <tim.pease@...>
Date: 2008-07-08T02:14:45+09:00
Subject: Re: mysterious memory corruption, very confused


On Jul 7, 2008, at 10:48 AM, Joel VanderWerf wrote:

> Tim Pease wrote:
>> On Jul 6, 2008, at 7:15 PM, Nobuyoshi Nakada wrote:
> ...
>>>    VALUE x, array;
>>>    char **foo = malloc(buncha char *);
>>>
>>>    for (big list of things) {
>>>        x = rb_obj_as_string(y);
>>>        rb_ary_push(array, x);
>>>        foo[i] = GetStringValue(x);
>>>    }
>>>
>>> By keeping the values in an automatic variable `array', they
>>> are marked and won't be freed.
>>>
>> I am wondering why the strings (returned from rb_obj_as_string)  
>> will be garbage collected but the array will not be garbage  
>> collected? Both have the same local scope, and they are not  
>> referenced by any other ruby object.
>
> IIUC, 'VALUE array' is a local, hence on stack, hence GC marks it.  
> The 'VALUE x' local only protects the current string.
>

Thanks, Joel! That makes sense.

Blessings,
TwP