From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me
X-Spam-Level: 
X-Spam-Status: No, score=0.7 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_DATE,
	MSGID_SHORT,REPLYTO_WITHOUT_TO_CC autolearn=no autolearn_force=no
	version=3.4.4
Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!mailrus!ncar!gatech!hubcap!billwolf
From: billwolf@hubcap.clemson.edu (William Thomas Wolfe,2847,)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ada
Subject: Re: Garbage Collection
Message-ID: <3918@hubcap.UUCP>
Date: 15 Dec 88 19:25:52 GMT
References: <65713@ti-csl.CSNET>
Sender: news@hubcap.UUCP
Reply-To: billwolf@hubcap.clemson.edu
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

>From article <65713@ti-csl.CSNET>, by gateley@m2.csc.ti.com (John Gateley):
> A good example of when garbage collection is needed for readability:
> An infinite precision integer arithmatic package (or ADT, or module,
> or whatever you want to call it). Infinite precision integers will
> take up an unknown amount of memory to represent. Either you have to
> explicitly deallocate them when you are done, or let GC take care of them.
> But now consider the uses of integers in programs, they are used all over
> the place, with no regard for careful deallocation. Converting a program
> to use infinite precision integers will be very difficult, since it is
> hard to figure exactly when the program is 'finished' with a particular
> number.

     The deallocation of every object in the local environment is
     performed as an automatic service when a procedure, function,
     or local block is exited.  This is not garbage collection,
     because the programmer has implicitly directed that the 
     destruction be performed.  

     Unfortunately, Ada does not provide a means of integrating ADT 
     destruction algorithms into the mechanism providing this service.  
     This is Language Issue 35 of the Ada Language Issues Working Group; 
     it is presently under editorial review, a step which is usually followed 
     by approval and then by submission to ADA-COMMENT, according to the 
     ALIWG handout I obtained at Tri-Ada '88.


                                         Bill Wolfe

                                 wtwolfe@hubcap.clemson.edu