Re: Ada 0Y plans for garbage collection?

[olehjalmar kristensen - Sun Microsystems - Trondheim Norway <ok145024@sun.com>]

I still think the way it was done in Modula-3 gives you the best of
both worlds. If you want garbage collection, you allocate from a
different pool. If you don't want it you don't use it, and there is no
overhead.

>>>>> "JC" == Jeffrey Carter <spam@spam.com> writes:

<snip>

    JC> http://home.earthlink.net/~jrcarter010/pragmarc.htm

    JC> The   implementations   of  these   perform   manual  allocation   and
    JC> deallocation, but  the client  need never concern  himself with  it. A
    JC> person,  such as you,  developing systems  where memory  management is
    JC> acceptable, can use such components  and pretend that the language has
    JC> GC; those developing real-time  software can avoid such components. If
    JC> you need to move your software to another compiler, you need not limit
    JC> your compiler selection to those that provide GC.


    JC> The need  for explicit heap  allocation is much  rarer in Ada  than in
    JC> lesser languages. If you are  using heap allocation for anything other
    JC> than dynamic data  structures, the odds are very good  that you can do
    JC> the same thing without heap allocation.


    JC> So, if you are a software engineer, memory management is isolated in a
    JC> few  well  defined places  in  your software,  and  the  bulk of  your
    JC> development effort  can ignore memory management issues.  If there are
    JC> problems  with  the memory  management,  they  are  easy to  find  and
    JC> correct.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  you are  a  coder  and  sprinkle
    JC> allocations  and deallocations  throughout your  system, then  you get
    JC> what you deserve.


    JC> The best thing you could do  if you want to demonstrate the importance
    JC> of GC in  Ada is to modify GNAT  to include GC. If there  is really an
    JC> incipient demand for  GC, then your version would  become widely used,
    JC> and your changes would be incorporated into the mainstream versions of
    JC> GNAT. If not, you would still have a version with GC for your personal
    JC> efforts.


    JC> -- 
    JC> Jeff Carter
    JC> "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"
    JC> Monty Python's Flying Circus
    JC> 22