trusty (3) erl_malloc.3erl.gz

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.