malloc schemes

[Chris Torek]

>In article <13100010 at bucc2> brian at bucc2.UUCP writes:
>>... After a call to malloc is made, a mark() function can be called
>>to set a code in this field. Later, a function called free_group()
>>frees all the blocks with a specific code. ...

In article <5482 at bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> raeburn at athena.mit.edu
(Ken Raeburn) writes:
>How about combining these steps? ...
>	area create_area (void);
>	void * allocate (size_t size, area a);
>	void release (void * ptr);
>	void free_area (area a);

This seems a much nicer interface.  I would suggest that if you wanted
something like `programmer' and `project' fields, that you augment it
to, e.g.,

	area a_create(char *identifier);
	void *a_alloc(size_t size, area a);
	void a_free1(void *ptr);
	void a_freeall(area a);

The `identifier' would merely be stored somewhere for debugging
purposes:

	void a_snapshot(FILE *outf);

	...
	a_snapshot(stderr);

might produce a list of all allocated blocks, their sizes, and
their identifiers.

If you decide it would be worthwhile, it would be easy enough
to add a `find named area' routine:

	area a_find(char *identifier);

which would make freeing someone else's trash easier:

	a_freeall(a_find("jow bloe/lawnmower data"));
-- 
In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7163)
Domain:	chris at mimsy.umd.edu	Path:	uunet!mimsy!chris