diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'erts/doc/src/erl_nif.xml')
| -rw-r--r-- | erts/doc/src/erl_nif.xml | 49 |
1 files changed, 30 insertions, 19 deletions
diff --git a/erts/doc/src/erl_nif.xml b/erts/doc/src/erl_nif.xml index 5987ddbd5e..4bbd4e2a54 100644 --- a/erts/doc/src/erl_nif.xml +++ b/erts/doc/src/erl_nif.xml @@ -193,9 +193,9 @@ ok A handle ("safe pointer") to this memory block can then be returned to Erlang by the use of <seealso marker="#enif_make_resource">enif_make_resource</seealso>. The term returned by <c>enif_make_resource</c> - is totally opaque in nature. It can be stored and passed between processses - on the same node, but the only real end usage is to pass it back as argument to a NIF. - The NIF can then do <seealso marker="#enif_get_resource">enif_get_resource</seealso> + is totally opaque in nature. It can be stored and passed between processes + on the same node, but the only real end usage is to pass it back as an argument to a NIF. + The NIF can then call <seealso marker="#enif_get_resource">enif_get_resource</seealso> and get back a pointer to the memory block that is guaranteed to still be valid. A resource object will not be deallocated until the last handle term has been garbage collected by the VM and the resource has been @@ -212,17 +212,7 @@ ok the garbage collector or <c>enif_release_resource</c>). Resource types are uniquely identified by a supplied name string and the name of the implementing module.</p> - <p>Resource types support upgrade in runtime by allowing a loaded NIF - library to takeover an already existing resource type and thereby - "inherit" all existing objects of that type. The destructor of the new - library will thereafter be called for the inherited objects and the - library with the old destructor function can be safely unloaded. Existing - resource objects, of a module that is upgraded, must either be deleted - or taken over by the new NIF library. The unloading of a library will be - postponed as long as there exist resource objects with a destructor - function in the library. - </p> - <p>Here is a template example of how to create and return a resource object.</p> + <marker id="enif_resource_example"/><p>Here is a template example of how to create and return a resource object.</p> <p/> <code type="none"> ERL_NIF_TERM term; @@ -240,8 +230,13 @@ ok /* resource now only owned by "Erlang" */ } return term; -} -</code> + </code> + <p>Note that once <c>enif_make_resource</c> creates the term to + return to Erlang, the code can choose to either keep its own + native pointer to the allocated struct and release it later, or + release it immediately and rely solely on the garbage collector + to eventually deallocate the resource object when it collects + the term.</p> <p>Another usage of resource objects is to create binary terms with user defined memory management. <seealso marker="#enif_make_resource_binary">enif_make_resource_binary</seealso> @@ -251,6 +246,16 @@ ok this can be a binary term consisting of data from a <c>mmap</c>'ed file. The destructor can then do <c>munmap</c> to release the memory region.</p> + <p>Resource types support upgrade in runtime by allowing a loaded NIF + library to takeover an already existing resource type and thereby + "inherit" all existing objects of that type. The destructor of the new + library will thereafter be called for the inherited objects and the + library with the old destructor function can be safely unloaded. Existing + resource objects, of a module that is upgraded, must either be deleted + or taken over by the new NIF library. The unloading of a library will be + postponed as long as there exist resource objects with a destructor + function in the library. + </p> </item> <tag>Threads and concurrency</tag> <item><p>A NIF is thread-safe without any explicit synchronization as @@ -368,7 +373,7 @@ ok environments between NIF calls. </p> <p>A <em>process independent environment</em> is created by calling <seealso marker="#enif_alloc_env">enif_alloc_env</seealso>. It can be - used to store terms beteen NIF calls and to send terms with + used to store terms between NIF calls and to send terms with <seealso marker="#enif_send">enif_send</seealso>. A process independent environment with all its terms is valid until you explicitly invalidates it with <seealso marker="#enif_free_env">enif_free_env</seealso> @@ -832,8 +837,14 @@ typedef enum { <fsummary>Create an opaque handle to a resource object</fsummary> <desc><p>Create an opaque handle to a memory managed resource object obtained by <seealso marker="#enif_alloc_resource">enif_alloc_resource</seealso>. - No ownership transfer is done, the resource object still needs to be released by - <seealso marker="#enif_release_resource">enif_release_resource</seealso>.</p> + No ownership transfer is done, as the resource object still needs to be released by + <seealso marker="#enif_release_resource">enif_release_resource</seealso>, + but note that the call to <c>enif_release_resource</c> can occur + immediately after obtaining the term from <c>enif_make_resource</c>, + in which case the resource object will be deallocated when the + term is garbage collected. See the + <seealso marker="#enif_resource_example">example of creating and + returning a resource object</seealso> for more details.</p> <p>Note that the only defined behaviour of using a resource term in an Erlang program is to store it and send it between processes on the same node. Other operations such as matching or <c>term_to_binary</c> |