Difference between revisions of "Garbage collector"
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This way, in Haskell memory deallocation can be hidden, making the language (more) [[declarative]]. |
This way, in Haskell memory deallocation can be hidden, making the language (more) [[declarative]]. |
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| − | A simple idea of implementing a garbage collector would be to count the references to an object |
+ | A simple idea of implementing a garbage collector would be to count the references to an object and delete the object when the last reference disappears. |
| + | However, in cyclic data structures like <hask>let x = 'a':x in x</hask>, the <hask>x</hask> is referenced by itself, so it would never be deallocated. Thus garbage collection is a bit more complicated and thus needs more effort and phases, where it is applied. Garbage collection is also a bit difficult to handle with respect to real-time processing. |
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| − | and delete the object, when the last reference disappears. |
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| − | However in a cyclic data structures like <hask>let x = 'a':x in x</hask>, |
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| − | the <hask>x</hask> is referenced by itself, so that it would never get deallocated. |
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| − | Thus garbage collection is a bit more complicated and thus needs more effort and phases, where it is applied. |
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| − | Garbage collection is also a bit difficult to handle with respect to real-time processing. |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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Revision as of 00:09, 3 January 2009
A garbage collector deallocates unused allocated memory from time to time. This way, in Haskell memory deallocation can be hidden, making the language (more) declarative.
A simple idea of implementing a garbage collector would be to count the references to an object and delete the object when the last reference disappears.
However, in cyclic data structures like let x = 'a':x in x, the x is referenced by itself, so it would never be deallocated. Thus garbage collection is a bit more complicated and thus needs more effort and phases, where it is applied. Garbage collection is also a bit difficult to handle with respect to real-time processing.