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Diffstat (limited to 'lib/erl_interface/doc/src/erl_malloc.xml')
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diff --git a/lib/erl_interface/doc/src/erl_malloc.xml b/lib/erl_interface/doc/src/erl_malloc.xml new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..8c8750d62a --- /dev/null +++ b/lib/erl_interface/doc/src/erl_malloc.xml @@ -0,0 +1,200 @@ +<?xml version="1.0" encoding="latin1" ?> +<!DOCTYPE cref SYSTEM "cref.dtd"> + +<cref> + <header> + <copyright> + <year>1996</year><year>2009</year> + <holder>Ericsson AB. All Rights Reserved.</holder> + </copyright> + <legalnotice> + The contents of this file are subject to the Erlang Public License, + Version 1.1, (the "License"); you may not use this file except in + compliance with the License. You should have received a copy of the + Erlang Public License along with this software. If not, it can be + retrieved online at http://www.erlang.org/. + + Software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" + basis, WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See + the License for the specific language governing rights and limitations + under the License. + + </legalnotice> + + <title>erl_malloc</title> + <prepared>Torbjörn Törnkvist</prepared> + <responsible>Torbjörn Törnkvist</responsible> + <docno></docno> + <approved>Bjarne Däcker</approved> + <checked>Torbjörn Törnkvist</checked> + <date>980703</date> + <rev>A</rev> + <file>erl_malloc.sgml</file> + </header> + <lib>erl_malloc</lib> + <libsummary>Memory Allocation Functions</libsummary> + <description> + <p>This module provides functions for allocating and deallocating + memory.</p> + </description> + <funcs> + <func> + <name><ret>ETERM *</ret><nametext>erl_alloc_eterm(etype)</nametext></name> + <fsummary>Allocates an ETERM structure</fsummary> + <type> + <v>unsigned char etype;</v> + </type> + <desc> + <p>This function allocates an <c><![CDATA[(ETERM)]]></c> structure. + Specify <c><![CDATA[etype]]></c> as one of the following constants:</p> + <list type="bulleted"> + <item> + <p>ERL_INTEGER</p> + </item> + <item> + <p>ERL_U_INTEGER <c><![CDATA[/* unsigned integer */]]></c></p> + </item> + <item> + <p>ERL_ATOM</p> + </item> + <item> + <p>ERL_PID <c><![CDATA[/* Erlang process identifier */]]></c></p> + </item> + <item> + <p>ERL_PORT</p> + </item> + <item> + <p>ERL_REF <c><![CDATA[/* Erlang reference */]]></c></p> + </item> + <item> + <p>ERL_LIST</p> + </item> + <item> + <p>ERL_EMPTY_LIST</p> + </item> + <item> + <p>ERL_TUPLE</p> + </item> + <item> + <p>ERL_BINARY</p> + </item> + <item> + <p>ERL_FLOAT</p> + </item> + <item> + <p>ERL_VARIABLE</p> + </item> + <item> + <p>ERL_SMALL_BIG <c><![CDATA[/* bignum */]]></c></p> + </item> + <item> + <p>ERL_U_SMALL_BIG <c><![CDATA[/* bignum */]]></c></p> + </item> + </list> + <p><c><![CDATA[ERL_SMALL_BIG]]></c> and <c><![CDATA[ERL_U_SMALL_BIG]]></c> are for + creating Erlang <c><![CDATA[bignums]]></c>, which can contain integers of + arbitrary size. The size of an integer in Erlang is machine + dependent, but in general any integer larger than 2^28 + requires a bignum.</p> + </desc> + </func> + <func> + <name><ret>void</ret><nametext>erl_eterm_release(void)</nametext></name> + <fsummary>Clears the ETERM freelist</fsummary> + <desc> + <p>Clears the + freelist, where blocks are placed when they are + released by <c><![CDATA[erl_free_term()]]></c> and + <c><![CDATA[erl_free_compound()]]></c>. </p> + </desc> + </func> + <func> + <name><ret>void</ret><nametext>erl_eterm_statistics(allocated, freed)</nametext></name> + <fsummary>Reports term allocation statistics</fsummary> + <type> + <v>long *allocated;</v> + <v>long *freed;</v> + </type> + <desc> + <p><c><![CDATA[allocated]]></c> and <c><![CDATA[freed]]></c> are initialized to + contain information about the fix-allocator used to allocate + ETERM components. <c><![CDATA[allocated]]></c> is the number of blocks + currently allocated to ETERM objects. <c><![CDATA[freed]]></c> is the + length of the freelist, where blocks are placed when they are + released by <c><![CDATA[erl_free_term()]]></c> and + <c><![CDATA[erl_free_compound()]]></c>. </p> + </desc> + </func> + <func> + <name><ret>void</ret><nametext>erl_free_array(array, size)</nametext></name> + <fsummary>Frees an array of ETERM structures</fsummary> + <type> + <v>ETERM **array;</v> + <v>int size;</v> + </type> + <desc> + <p>This function frees an array of Erlang terms.</p> + <p><c><![CDATA[array]]></c> is an array of ETERM* objects. + </p> + <p><c><![CDATA[size]]></c> is the number of terms in the array.</p> + </desc> + </func> + <func> + <name><ret>void</ret><nametext>erl_free_term(t)</nametext></name> + <fsummary>Frees an ETERM structure</fsummary> + <type> + <v>ETERM *t;</v> + </type> + <desc> + <p>Use this function to free an Erlang term.</p> + </desc> + </func> + <func> + <name><ret>void</ret><nametext>erl_free_compound(t)</nametext></name> + <fsummary>Frees an array of ETERM structures</fsummary> + <type> + <v>ETERM *t;</v> + </type> + <desc> + <p>Normally it is the programmer's responsibility to free each + Erlang term that has been returned from any of the + <c><![CDATA[erl_interface]]></c> functions. However since many of the + functions that build new Erlang terms in fact share objects + with other existing terms, it may be difficult for the + programmer to maintain pointers to all such terms in order to + free them individually. + </p> + <p><c><![CDATA[erl_free_compound()]]></c> will recursively free all of the + sub-terms associated with a given Erlang term, regardless of + whether we are still holding pointers to the sub-terms. + </p> + <p>There is an example in the User Manual under "Building + Terms and Patterns" + </p> + </desc> + </func> + <func> + <name><ret>void</ret><nametext>erl_malloc(size)</nametext></name> + <fsummary>Allocates some memory</fsummary> + <type> + <v>long size;</v> + </type> + <desc> + <p>This function calls the standard + <c><![CDATA[malloc()]]></c> function. </p> + </desc> + </func> + <func> + <name><ret>void</ret><nametext>erl_free(ptr)</nametext></name> + <fsummary>Frees some memory</fsummary> + <type> + <v>void *ptr;</v> + </type> + <desc> + <p>This function calls the standard + <c><![CDATA[free()]]></c> function. </p> + </desc> + </func> + </funcs> +</cref> + |