diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'lib/erl_interface/doc/src/erl_malloc.xml')
| -rw-r--r-- | lib/erl_interface/doc/src/erl_malloc.xml | 155 |
1 files changed, 80 insertions, 75 deletions
diff --git a/lib/erl_interface/doc/src/erl_malloc.xml b/lib/erl_interface/doc/src/erl_malloc.xml index ba1f59a492..28de9dfa88 100644 --- a/lib/erl_interface/doc/src/erl_malloc.xml +++ b/lib/erl_interface/doc/src/erl_malloc.xml @@ -28,172 +28,177 @@ <docno></docno> <approved>Bjarne Däcker</approved> <checked>Torbjörn Törnkvist</checked> - <date>980703</date> + <date>1998-07-03</date> <rev>A</rev> <file>erl_malloc.xml</file> </header> <lib>erl_malloc</lib> - <libsummary>Memory Allocation Functions</libsummary> + <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> + <fsummary>Allocate 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> + <p>Allocates an <c><![CDATA[(ETERM)]]></c> structure.</p> + <p>Specify <c><![CDATA[etype]]></c> as one of the following + constants:</p> <list type="bulleted"> - <item> - <p>ERL_INTEGER</p> + <item><c>ERL_INTEGER</c> </item> - <item> - <p>ERL_U_INTEGER <c><![CDATA[/* unsigned integer */]]></c></p> + <item><c>ERL_U_INTEGER</c> (unsigned integer) </item> - <item> - <p>ERL_ATOM</p> + <item><c>ERL_ATOM</c> </item> - <item> - <p>ERL_PID <c><![CDATA[/* Erlang process identifier */]]></c></p> + <item><c>ERL_PID</c> (Erlang process identifier) </item> - <item> - <p>ERL_PORT</p> + <item><c>ERL_PORT</c> </item> - <item> - <p>ERL_REF <c><![CDATA[/* Erlang reference */]]></c></p> + <item><c>ERL_REF</c> (Erlang reference) </item> - <item> - <p>ERL_LIST</p> + <item><c>ERL_LIST</c> </item> - <item> - <p>ERL_EMPTY_LIST</p> + <item><c>ERL_EMPTY_LIST</c> </item> - <item> - <p>ERL_TUPLE</p> + <item><c>ERL_TUPLE</c> </item> - <item> - <p>ERL_BINARY</p> + <item><c>ERL_BINARY</c> </item> - <item> - <p>ERL_FLOAT</p> + <item><c>ERL_FLOAT</c> </item> - <item> - <p>ERL_VARIABLE</p> + <item><c>ERL_VARIABLE</c> </item> - <item> - <p>ERL_SMALL_BIG <c><![CDATA[/* bignum */]]></c></p> + <item><c>ERL_SMALL_BIG</c> (bignum) </item> - <item> - <p>ERL_U_SMALL_BIG <c><![CDATA[/* bignum */]]></c></p> + <item><c>ERL_U_SMALL_BIG</c> (bignum) </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> + <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 any size. The size of an integer in Erlang is machine-dependent, + but any integer > 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> + <fsummary>Clear the ETERM freelist.</fsummary> <desc> - <p>Clears the - freelist, where blocks are placed when they are + <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> + <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> + <fsummary>Report 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 + <p>Reports term allocation statistics.</p> + <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> + <c>ETERM</c> components.</p> + <list type="bulleted"> + <item> + <p><c><![CDATA[allocated]]></c> is the number of blocks currently + allocated to <c>ETERM</c> objects.</p> + </item> + <item> + <p><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> + </item> + </list> </desc> </func> + <func> <name><ret>void</ret><nametext>erl_free(ptr)</nametext></name> - <fsummary>Frees some memory.</fsummary> + <fsummary>Free some memory.</fsummary> <type> <v>void *ptr;</v> </type> <desc> - <p>This function calls the standard - <c><![CDATA[free()]]></c> function. </p> + <p>Calls the standard + <c><![CDATA[free()]]></c> function.</p> </desc> </func> + <func> <name><ret>void</ret><nametext>erl_free_array(array, size)</nametext></name> - <fsummary>Frees an array of ETERM structures.</fsummary> + <fsummary>Free 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> + <p>Frees an array of Erlang terms.</p> + <list type="bulleted"> + <item><c><![CDATA[array]]></c> is an array of ETERM* objects.</item> + <item><c><![CDATA[size]]></c> is the number of terms in the array. + </item> + </list> </desc> </func> + <func> <name><ret>void</ret><nametext>erl_free_compound(t)</nametext></name> - <fsummary>Frees an array of ETERM structures.</fsummary> + <fsummary>Free 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 + <c><![CDATA[Erl_Interface]]></c> functions. However, as 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> + with other existing terms, it can be difficult for the + programmer to maintain pointers to all such terms to + free them individually.</p> + <p><c><![CDATA[erl_free_compound()]]></c> recursively frees all of the + subterms associated with a specified Erlang term, regardless of + whether we are still holding pointers to the subterms.</p> + <p>For an example, see section + <seealso marker="building terms and patterns">Building Terms and + Patterns"></seealso> in the User's Guide.</p> </desc> </func> + <func> <name><ret>void</ret><nametext>erl_free_term(t)</nametext></name> - <fsummary>Frees an ETERM structure.</fsummary> + <fsummary>Free an ETERM structure.</fsummary> + <marker id="erl_free_term"/> <type> <v>ETERM *t;</v> </type> <desc> - <p>Use this function to free an Erlang term.</p> + <p>Frees an Erlang term.</p> </desc> </func> + <func> <name><ret>void</ret><nametext>erl_malloc(size)</nametext></name> - <fsummary>Allocates some memory.</fsummary> + <fsummary>Allocate some memory.</fsummary> <type> <v>long size;</v> </type> <desc> - <p>This function calls the standard - <c><![CDATA[malloc()]]></c> function. </p> + <p>Calls the standard + <c><![CDATA[malloc()]]></c> function.</p> </desc> </func> </funcs> |