Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!aplcen!haven!uflorida!rex!ukma!dftsrv!ames!sun-barr!newstop!sun!stef
From: stef@zweig.sun (Stephane Payrard)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl
Subject: perl usage of memory? a long lasting perl server
Message-ID: <STEF.90May31004958@zweig.sun>
Date: 31 May 90 07:49:58 GMT
Sender: news@sun.Eng.Sun.COM
Distribution: comp
Organization: Sun Microsystems -- Mountain View
Lines: 38



Suppose I have a perl script living forever (implementing some kind of
server with a growing context)
which defines variables or/and arrays and later undefines some of them.
Is perl sophisticated enough to reuse the memory left by the no more used
`undefined variables'?


If not, is there a scheme to exec a new instance of the script
and feeding it with the context of  its parent? So the son can
resume the task where its dad left it.

The scheme I imagine is that the father can exec a son and feed it
(thru a pipe) with perl code interpreted by its son which sets the
context of the son to be identical to the father. A modified version
of dumpvar could do the trick It would obviate the fact that a Unix
process can only grow. Once a while the process interpreting the perl
script will disappear to leave its newly execed son to continue the
task.

Is it science fiction?

Another question. Is there any recovery scheme in perl to handle the inability
of allocating more memory.

Larry?


stef


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Stephane Payrard -- stef@sun.com -- (415) 336 3726
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