Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!snorkelwacker!apple!shebanow
From: shebanow@Apple.COM (Andrew Shebanow)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer
Subject: Re: MPW C malloc
Message-ID: <9506@goofy.Apple.COM>
Date: 31 Jul 90 19:43:02 GMT
References: <23421@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, CA
Lines: 28

In article <23421@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> llama@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Joe Francis) writes:
>1) How does malloc/free actually work on the mac?
>2) How is the performance?
>3) Are there any problems you have run into?

I discussed this in my article "Using C++ Objects In A Handle Based World,"
in Issue 2 (April 1990) of d e v e l o p. Its a little too long to repeat here,
so I would encourage you to get a copy of the magazine. Its available by
calling (800) 331-4164 (CA only) or (800) 443-9637 (US), or by writing:

d e v e l o p
Apple Computer, Inc.
P.O. Box 531
Mt. Morris, IL 61054

malloc's performance is quite good, but it can have a detrimental
effect on heap fragmentation, so you should avoid it if you also want
to do "Mac-like" things (e.g, windows, menus, quickdraw, etc.). In
general, I would strongly recommend against using it unless you are
doing a straight port of a textual app - calling NewPtr is just as
easy to write, and the storage headaches are a lot smaller (although
the performance is, admittedly, quite a bit worse than malloc).

Good luck,

Andrew Shebanow
DTS Engineer Emeritus
Apple Computer, Inc.