NAME

       erl_malloc - Memory Allocation Functions

DESCRIPTION

       This module provides functions for allocating and deallocating memory.

EXPORTS

       ETERM *erl_alloc_eterm(etype)

              Types:

                 unsigned char etype;

              This function allocates an (ETERM) structure. Specify etype as one of the following
              constants:

                * ERL_INTEGER

                * ERL_U_INTEGER /* unsigned integer */

                * ERL_ATOM

                * ERL_PID /* Erlang process identifier */

                * ERL_PORT

                * ERL_REF /* Erlang reference */

                * ERL_LIST

                * ERL_EMPTY_LIST

                * ERL_TUPLE

                * ERL_BINARY

                * ERL_FLOAT

                * ERL_VARIABLE

                * ERL_SMALL_BIG /* bignum */

                * ERL_U_SMALL_BIG /* bignum */

              ERL_SMALL_BIG and ERL_U_SMALL_BIG  are  for  creating  Erlang  bignums,  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.

       void erl_eterm_release(void)

              Clears  the  freelist,  where  blocks  are  placed  when  they  are   released   by
              erl_free_term() and erl_free_compound().

       void erl_eterm_statistics(allocated, freed)

              Types:

                 long *allocated;
                 long *freed;

              allocated  and freed are initialized to contain information about the fix-allocator
              used to allocate ETERM components. allocated is  the  number  of  blocks  currently
              allocated  to  ETERM objects. freed is the length of the freelist, where blocks are
              placed when they are released by erl_free_term() and erl_free_compound().

       void erl_free_array(array, size)

              Types:

                 ETERM **array;
                 int size;

              This function frees an array of Erlang terms.

              array is an array of ETERM* objects.

              size is the number of terms in the array.

       void erl_free_term(t)

              Types:

                 ETERM *t;

              Use this function to free an Erlang term.

       void erl_free_compound(t)

              Types:

                 ETERM *t;

              Normally it is the programmer's responsibility to free each Erlang  term  that  has
              been  returned  from  any of the erl_interface 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.

              erl_free_compound() 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.

              There is an example in the User Manual under "Building Terms and Patterns"

       void erl_malloc(size)

              Types:

                 long size;

              This function calls the standard malloc() function.

       void erl_free(ptr)

              Types:

                 void *ptr;

              This function calls the standard free() function.