Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!crdgw1!uunet!paradim!jean
From: jean@paradim.UUCP (Jean Pierre LeJacq)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: fragmentation of free store
Keywords: free store, new, delete
Message-ID: <285@paradim.UUCP>
Date: 2 Apr 91 15:46:03 GMT
Organization: Paradigm Software, Milford, NH
Lines: 21

The free store memory managment system can coalesce
deleted memory to form larger blocks.  However, it
does not appear possible to defragment this memory
due to direct references to free store memory.

If this is the case free store memory allocation
could fail even when plenty of fragmented memory is
available.  Thus even programs that carefully delete
memory when no longer required could fail if run
for a sufficiently long period of time.

It would thus appear necessary to provide class
specific new and delete for any real application.
Am I missing something in this analysis (e.g. only
indirect references to free store memory)?

                Jean Pierre LeJacq

                uucp:     uunet!paradim!jean
                internet: paradim!jean@uunet.uu.net
                voice:    203 295 8185