GC for C

maxtal@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU (John MAX Skaller)
Sun, 16 Aug 1992 23:33:06 GMT

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Newsgroups: comp.compilers
From: maxtal@extro.ucc.su.OZ.AU (John MAX Skaller)
Organization: MAXTAL P/L C/- University Computing Centre, Sydney
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1992 23:33:06 GMT
References: 92-08-056 92-08-045
Keywords: storage, GC, C

As I understand it, a conservative garbage collector works
by checking the stack for any pointer like words, and assuming
these root collectable objects.


What happens in a system like Windows when the user gives away
the object addresses to the operating system, so for most
objects there are no roots on the stack, because the stack
is empty most of the time?


[The object pointer is stored in Window memory, owned by the OS,
by the object is on the heap as usual.]


Wouldn't this mean GC would have to be carried out at the OS level?
--
                JOHN (MAX) SKALLER, maxtal@extro.ucc.su.oz.au
Maxtal Pty Ltd, 6 MacKay St ASHFIELD, NSW 2131, AUSTRALIA
[Either the OS has to do the GC, or else there has to be some way for the
user level GC to see the OS's pointers into its address space. -John]
--


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