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| author | Georg Brandl <georg@python.org> | 2008-01-19 22:08:21 (GMT) | 
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| committer | Georg Brandl <georg@python.org> | 2008-01-19 22:08:21 (GMT) | 
| commit | f6842722df69a40e841c045d42a538bb5d6bbbf6 (patch) | |
| tree | 2b8bb1b6bb5908ed66ed72f7c84de0a34ddc7542 /Doc/c-api/gcsupport.rst | |
| parent | 8b506e7a2d4e8cb6ffd6b7f2845e45aa92daa4d4 (diff) | |
| download | cpython-f6842722df69a40e841c045d42a538bb5d6bbbf6.zip cpython-f6842722df69a40e841c045d42a538bb5d6bbbf6.tar.gz cpython-f6842722df69a40e841c045d42a538bb5d6bbbf6.tar.bz2  | |
Split the monstrous C API manual files in smaller parts.
Diffstat (limited to 'Doc/c-api/gcsupport.rst')
| -rw-r--r-- | Doc/c-api/gcsupport.rst | 153 | 
1 files changed, 153 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Doc/c-api/gcsupport.rst b/Doc/c-api/gcsupport.rst new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cae1500 --- /dev/null +++ b/Doc/c-api/gcsupport.rst @@ -0,0 +1,153 @@ +.. highlightlang:: c + +.. _supporting-cycle-detection: + +Supporting Cyclic Garbage Collection +==================================== + +Python's support for detecting and collecting garbage which involves circular +references requires support from object types which are "containers" for other +objects which may also be containers.  Types which do not store references to +other objects, or which only store references to atomic types (such as numbers +or strings), do not need to provide any explicit support for garbage collection. + +.. An example showing the use of these interfaces can be found in "Supporting the +.. Cycle Collector (XXX not found: ../ext/example-cycle-support.html)". + +To create a container type, the :attr:`tp_flags` field of the type object must +include the :const:`Py_TPFLAGS_HAVE_GC` and provide an implementation of the +:attr:`tp_traverse` handler.  If instances of the type are mutable, a +:attr:`tp_clear` implementation must also be provided. + + +.. data:: Py_TPFLAGS_HAVE_GC +   :noindex: + +   Objects with a type with this flag set must conform with the rules documented +   here.  For convenience these objects will be referred to as container objects. + +Constructors for container types must conform to two rules: + +#. The memory for the object must be allocated using :cfunc:`PyObject_GC_New` or +   :cfunc:`PyObject_GC_VarNew`. + +#. Once all the fields which may contain references to other containers are +   initialized, it must call :cfunc:`PyObject_GC_Track`. + + +.. cfunction:: TYPE* PyObject_GC_New(TYPE, PyTypeObject *type) + +   Analogous to :cfunc:`PyObject_New` but for container objects with the +   :const:`Py_TPFLAGS_HAVE_GC` flag set. + + +.. cfunction:: TYPE* PyObject_GC_NewVar(TYPE, PyTypeObject *type, Py_ssize_t size) + +   Analogous to :cfunc:`PyObject_NewVar` but for container objects with the +   :const:`Py_TPFLAGS_HAVE_GC` flag set. + + +.. cfunction:: PyVarObject * PyObject_GC_Resize(PyVarObject *op, Py_ssize_t) + +   Resize an object allocated by :cfunc:`PyObject_NewVar`.  Returns the resized +   object or *NULL* on failure. + + +.. cfunction:: void PyObject_GC_Track(PyObject *op) + +   Adds the object *op* to the set of container objects tracked by the collector. +   The collector can run at unexpected times so objects must be valid while being +   tracked.  This should be called once all the fields followed by the +   :attr:`tp_traverse` handler become valid, usually near the end of the +   constructor. + + +.. cfunction:: void _PyObject_GC_TRACK(PyObject *op) + +   A macro version of :cfunc:`PyObject_GC_Track`.  It should not be used for +   extension modules. + +Similarly, the deallocator for the object must conform to a similar pair of +rules: + +#. Before fields which refer to other containers are invalidated, +   :cfunc:`PyObject_GC_UnTrack` must be called. + +#. The object's memory must be deallocated using :cfunc:`PyObject_GC_Del`. + + +.. cfunction:: void PyObject_GC_Del(void *op) + +   Releases memory allocated to an object using :cfunc:`PyObject_GC_New` or +   :cfunc:`PyObject_GC_NewVar`. + + +.. cfunction:: void PyObject_GC_UnTrack(void *op) + +   Remove the object *op* from the set of container objects tracked by the +   collector.  Note that :cfunc:`PyObject_GC_Track` can be called again on this +   object to add it back to the set of tracked objects.  The deallocator +   (:attr:`tp_dealloc` handler) should call this for the object before any of the +   fields used by the :attr:`tp_traverse` handler become invalid. + + +.. cfunction:: void _PyObject_GC_UNTRACK(PyObject *op) + +   A macro version of :cfunc:`PyObject_GC_UnTrack`.  It should not be used for +   extension modules. + +The :attr:`tp_traverse` handler accepts a function parameter of this type: + + +.. ctype:: int (*visitproc)(PyObject *object, void *arg) + +   Type of the visitor function passed to the :attr:`tp_traverse` handler.  The +   function should be called with an object to traverse as *object* and the third +   parameter to the :attr:`tp_traverse` handler as *arg*.  The Python core uses +   several visitor functions to implement cyclic garbage detection; it's not +   expected that users will need to write their own visitor functions. + +The :attr:`tp_traverse` handler must have the following type: + + +.. ctype:: int (*traverseproc)(PyObject *self, visitproc visit, void *arg) + +   Traversal function for a container object.  Implementations must call the +   *visit* function for each object directly contained by *self*, with the +   parameters to *visit* being the contained object and the *arg* value passed to +   the handler.  The *visit* function must not be called with a *NULL* object +   argument.  If *visit* returns a non-zero value that value should be returned +   immediately. + +To simplify writing :attr:`tp_traverse` handlers, a :cfunc:`Py_VISIT` macro is +provided.  In order to use this macro, the :attr:`tp_traverse` implementation +must name its arguments exactly *visit* and *arg*: + + +.. cfunction:: void Py_VISIT(PyObject *o) + +   Call the *visit* callback, with arguments *o* and *arg*. If *visit* returns a +   non-zero value, then return it.  Using this macro, :attr:`tp_traverse` handlers +   look like:: + +      static int +      my_traverse(Noddy *self, visitproc visit, void *arg) +      { +          Py_VISIT(self->foo); +          Py_VISIT(self->bar); +          return 0; +      } + +   .. versionadded:: 2.4 + +The :attr:`tp_clear` handler must be of the :ctype:`inquiry` type, or *NULL* if +the object is immutable. + + +.. ctype:: int (*inquiry)(PyObject *self) + +   Drop references that may have created reference cycles.  Immutable objects do +   not have to define this method since they can never directly create reference +   cycles.  Note that the object must still be valid after calling this method +   (don't just call :cfunc:`Py_DECREF` on a reference).  The collector will call +   this method if it detects that this object is involved in a reference cycle.  | 
