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1 @c -*-texinfo-*-
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2 @c This is part of the XEmacs Lisp Reference Manual.
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3 @c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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4 @c See the file lispref.texi for copying conditions.
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5 @setfilename ../../info/building.info
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6 @node Building XEmacs and Object Allocation, Standard Errors, Tips, Top
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7 @appendix Building XEmacs; Allocation of Objects
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8
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9 This chapter describes how the runnable XEmacs executable is dumped
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10 with the preloaded Lisp libraries in it and how storage is allocated.
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11
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12 There is an entire separate document, the @cite{XEmacs Internals
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13 Manual}, devoted to the internals of XEmacs from the perspective of the
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14 C programmer. It contains much more detailed information about the
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15 build process, the allocation and garbage-collection process, and other
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16 aspects related to the internals of XEmacs.
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17
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18 @menu
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19 * Building XEmacs:: How to preload Lisp libraries into XEmacs.
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20 * Garbage Collection:: Reclaiming space for Lisp objects no longer used.
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21 @end menu
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22
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23 @node Building XEmacs
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24 @appendixsec Building XEmacs
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25 @cindex building XEmacs
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26 @pindex temacs
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27
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28 This section explains the steps involved in building the XEmacs
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29 executable. You don't have to know this material to build and install
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30 XEmacs, since the makefiles do all these things automatically. This
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31 information is pertinent to XEmacs maintenance.
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32
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33 The @cite{XEmacs Internals Manual} contains more information about this.
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34
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35 Compilation of the C source files in the @file{src} directory
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36 produces an executable file called @file{temacs}. It contains the
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37 XEmacs Lisp interpreter and I/O routines, but not the editing commands.
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38
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39 @cindex @file{loadup.el}
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40 Before XEmacs is actually usable, a number of Lisp files need to be
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41 loaded. These define all the editing commands, plus most of the startup
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42 code and many very basic Lisp primitives. This is accomplished by
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43 loading the file @file{loadup.el}, which in turn loads all of the other
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44 standardly-loaded Lisp files.
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45
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46 It takes a substantial time to load the standard Lisp files. Luckily,
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47 you don't have to do this each time you run XEmacs; @file{temacs} can
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48 dump out an executable program called @file{xemacs} that has these files
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49 preloaded. @file{xemacs} starts more quickly because it does not need to
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50 load the files. This is the XEmacs executable that is normally
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51 installed.
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52
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53 To create @file{xemacs}, use the command @samp{temacs -batch -l loadup
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54 dump}. The purpose of @samp{-batch} here is to tell @file{temacs} to run
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55 in non-interactive, command-line mode. (@file{temacs} can @emph{only} run
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56 in this fashion. Part of the code required to initialize frames and faces
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57 is in Lisp, and must be loaded before XEmacs is able to create any frames.)
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58 The argument @samp{dump} tells @file{loadup.el} to dump a new executable
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59 named @file{xemacs}.
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60
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61 The dumping process is highly system-specific, and some operating
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62 systems don't support dumping. On those systems, you must start XEmacs
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63 with the @samp{temacs -batch -l loadup run-temacs} command each time you
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64 use it. This takes a substantial time, but since you need to start
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65 Emacs once a day at most---or once a week if you never log out---the
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66 extra time is not too severe a problem. (In older versions of Emacs,
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67 you started Emacs from @file{temacs} using @samp{temacs -l loadup}.)
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68
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69 @cindex runnable @file{temacs}
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70 @cindex bootstrapping XEmacs from @file{temacs}
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71 You are free to start XEmacs directly from @file{temacs} if you want,
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72 even if there is already a dumped @file{xemacs}. Normally you wouldn't
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73 want to do that; but the Makefiles do this when you rebuild XEmacs using
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74 @samp{make all-elc}, which builds XEmacs and simultaneously compiles any
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75 out-of-date Lisp files. (You need @file{xemacs} in order to compile Lisp
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76 files. However, you also need the compiled Lisp files in order to dump
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77 out @file{xemacs}. If both of these are missing or corrupted, you are
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78 out of luck unless you're able to bootstrap @file{xemacs} from
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79 @file{temacs}. Note that @samp{make all-elc} actually loads the
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80 alternative loadup file @file{loadup-el.el}, which works like
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81 @file{loadup.el} but forces XEmacs to ignore any compiled Lisp files
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82 even if they exist.)
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83
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84 @cindex @file{site-load.el}
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85 You can specify additional files to preload by writing a library named
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86 @file{site-load.el} that loads them. However, the advantage of
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87 preloading additional files decreases as machines get faster. On modern
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88 machines, it is often not advisable, especially if the Lisp code is
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89 on a file system local to the machine running XEmacs.
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90
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91 @cindex @file{site-init.el}
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92 You can specify other Lisp expressions to execute just before dumping
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93 by putting them in a library named @file{site-init.el}. However, if
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94 they might alter the behavior that users expect from an ordinary
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95 unmodified XEmacs, it is better to put them in @file{default.el}, so that
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96 users can override them if they wish. @xref{Start-up Summary}.
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97
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98 Before @file{loadup.el} dumps the new executable, it finds the
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99 documentation strings for primitive and preloaded functions (and
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100 variables) in the file where they are stored, by calling
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101 @code{Snarf-documentation} (@pxref{Accessing Documentation}). These
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102 strings were moved out of the @file{xemacs} executable to make it
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103 smaller. @xref{Documentation Basics}.
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104
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105 @defun dump-emacs to-file from-file
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106 @cindex unexec
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107 This function dumps the current state of XEmacs into an executable file
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108 @var{to-file}. It takes symbols from @var{from-file} (this is normally
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109 the executable file @file{temacs}).
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110
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111 If you use this function in an XEmacs that was already dumped, you must
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112 set @code{command-line-processed} to @code{nil} first for good results.
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113 @xref{Command Line Arguments}.
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114 @end defun
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115
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116 @defun run-emacs-from-temacs &rest args
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117 This is the function that implements the @file{run-temacs} command-line
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118 argument. It is called from @file{loadup.el} as appropriate. You should
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119 most emphatically @emph{not} call this yourself; it will reinitialize
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120 your XEmacs process and you'll be sorry.
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121 @end defun
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122
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123 @deffn Command emacs-version &optional arg
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124 This function returns a string describing the version of XEmacs that is
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125 running. It is useful to include this string in bug reports.
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126
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127 When called interactively with a prefix argument, insert string at point.
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128 Don't use this function in programs to choose actions according
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129 to the system configuration; look at @code{system-configuration} instead.
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130
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428
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131 @example
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132 @group
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133 (emacs-version)
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134 @result{} "XEmacs 20.1 [Lucid] (i586-unknown-linux2.0.29)
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135 of Mon Apr 7 1997 on altair.xemacs.org"
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136 @end group
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137 @end example
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138
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139 Called interactively, the function prints the same information in the
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140 echo area.
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141 @end deffn
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142
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143 @defvar emacs-build-time
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144 The value of this variable is the time at which XEmacs was built at the
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145 local site.
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146
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147 @example
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148 @group
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149 emacs-build-time "Mon Apr 7 20:28:52 1997"
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150 @result{}
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151 @end group
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152 @end example
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153 @end defvar
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154
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155 @defvar emacs-version
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156 The value of this variable is the version of Emacs being run. It is a
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157 string, e.g. @code{"20.1 XEmacs Lucid"}.
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158 @end defvar
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159
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160 The following two variables did not exist before FSF GNU Emacs version
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161 19.23 and XEmacs version 19.10, which reduces their usefulness at
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162 present, but we hope they will be convenient in the future.
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163
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164 @defvar emacs-major-version
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165 The major version number of Emacs, as an integer. For XEmacs version
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166 20.1, the value is 20.
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167 @end defvar
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168
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169 @defvar emacs-minor-version
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170 The minor version number of Emacs, as an integer. For XEmacs version
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171 20.1, the value is 1.
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172 @end defvar
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173
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174 @node Garbage Collection
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175 @appendixsec Garbage Collection
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176 @cindex garbage collector
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177
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178 @cindex memory allocation
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179 When a program creates a list or the user defines a new function (such
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180 as by loading a library), that data is placed in normal storage. If
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181 normal storage runs low, then XEmacs asks the operating system to
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182 allocate more memory in blocks of 2k bytes. Each block is used for one
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183 type of Lisp object, so symbols, cons cells, markers, etc., are
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184 segregated in distinct blocks in memory. (Vectors, long strings,
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185 buffers and certain other editing types, which are fairly large, are
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186 allocated in individual blocks, one per object, while small strings are
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187 packed into blocks of 8k bytes. [More correctly, a string is allocated
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188 in two sections: a fixed size chunk containing the length, list of
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189 extents, etc.; and a chunk containing the actual characters in the
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190 string. It is this latter chunk that is either allocated individually
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191 or packed into 8k blocks. The fixed size chunk is packed into 2k
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192 blocks, as for conses, markers, etc.])
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193
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194 It is quite common to use some storage for a while, then release it by
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195 (for example) killing a buffer or deleting the last pointer to an
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196 object. XEmacs provides a @dfn{garbage collector} to reclaim this
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197 abandoned storage. (This name is traditional, but ``garbage recycler''
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198 might be a more intuitive metaphor for this facility.)
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199
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200 The garbage collector operates by finding and marking all Lisp objects
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201 that are still accessible to Lisp programs. To begin with, it assumes
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202 all the symbols, their values and associated function definitions, and
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203 any data presently on the stack, are accessible. Any objects that can
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204 be reached indirectly through other accessible objects are also
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205 accessible.
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206
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207 When marking is finished, all objects still unmarked are garbage. No
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208 matter what the Lisp program or the user does, it is impossible to refer
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209 to them, since there is no longer a way to reach them. Their space
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210 might as well be reused, since no one will miss them. The second
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211 (``sweep'') phase of the garbage collector arranges to reuse them.
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212
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213 @cindex free list
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214 The sweep phase puts unused cons cells onto a @dfn{free list} for
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215 future allocation; likewise for symbols, markers, extents, events,
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216 floats, compiled-function objects, and the fixed-size portion of
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217 strings. It compacts the accessible small string-chars chunks so they
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218 occupy fewer 8k blocks; then it frees the other 8k blocks. Vectors,
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219 buffers, windows, and other large objects are individually allocated and
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220 freed using @code{malloc} and @code{free}.
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221
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222 @cindex CL note---allocate more storage
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223 @quotation
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224 @b{Common Lisp note:} unlike other Lisps, XEmacs Lisp does not
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225 call the garbage collector when the free list is empty. Instead, it
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226 simply requests the operating system to allocate more storage, and
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227 processing continues until @code{gc-cons-threshold} bytes have been
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228 used.
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229
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230 This means that you can make sure that the garbage collector will not
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231 run during a certain portion of a Lisp program by calling the garbage
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232 collector explicitly just before it (provided that portion of the
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233 program does not use so much space as to force a second garbage
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234 collection).
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235 @end quotation
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236
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237 @deffn Command garbage-collect
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238 This command runs a garbage collection, and returns information on
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239 the amount of space in use. (Garbage collection can also occur
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240 spontaneously if you use more than @code{gc-cons-threshold} bytes of
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241 Lisp data since the previous garbage collection.)
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242
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243 @code{garbage-collect} returns a list containing the following
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244 information:
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245
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246 @example
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247 @group
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248 ((@var{used-conses} . @var{free-conses})
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249 (@var{used-syms} . @var{free-syms})
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250 @end group
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251 (@var{used-markers} . @var{free-markers})
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252 @var{used-string-chars}
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253 @var{used-vector-slots}
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254 (@var{plist}))
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255
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256 @group
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257 @result{} ((73362 . 8325) (13718 . 164)
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258 (5089 . 5098) 949121 118677
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259 (conses-used 73362 conses-free 8329 cons-storage 658168
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260 symbols-used 13718 symbols-free 164 symbol-storage 335216
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261 bit-vectors-used 0 bit-vectors-total-length 0
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262 bit-vector-storage 0 vectors-used 7882
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263 vectors-total-length 118677 vector-storage 537764
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264 compiled-functions-used 1336 compiled-functions-free 37
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265 compiled-function-storage 44440 short-strings-used 28829
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266 long-strings-used 2 strings-free 7722
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267 short-strings-total-length 916657 short-string-storage 1179648
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268 long-strings-total-length 32464 string-header-storage 441504
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269 floats-used 3 floats-free 43 float-storage 2044 markers-used 5089
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270 markers-free 5098 marker-storage 245280 events-used 103
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271 events-free 835 event-storage 110656 extents-used 10519
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272 extents-free 2718 extent-storage 372736
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273 extent-auxiliarys-used 111 extent-auxiliarys-freed 3
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274 extent-auxiliary-storage 4440 window-configurations-used 39
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275 window-configurations-on-free-list 5
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276 window-configurations-freed 10 window-configuration-storage 9492
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277 popup-datas-used 3 popup-data-storage 72 toolbar-buttons-used 62
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278 toolbar-button-storage 4960 toolbar-datas-used 12
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279 toolbar-data-storage 240 symbol-value-buffer-locals-used 182
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280 symbol-value-buffer-local-storage 5824
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281 symbol-value-lisp-magics-used 22
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282 symbol-value-lisp-magic-storage 1496
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283 symbol-value-varaliases-used 43
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284 symbol-value-varalias-storage 1032 opaque-lists-used 2
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285 opaque-list-storage 48 color-instances-used 12
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286 color-instance-storage 288 font-instances-used 5
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287 font-instance-storage 180 opaques-used 11 opaque-storage 312
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288 range-tables-used 1 range-table-storage 16 faces-used 34
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289 face-storage 2584 glyphs-used 124 glyph-storage 4464
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290 specifiers-used 775 specifier-storage 43869 weak-lists-used 786
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291 weak-list-storage 18864 char-tables-used 40
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292 char-table-storage 41920 buffers-used 25 buffer-storage 7000
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293 extent-infos-used 457 extent-infos-freed 73
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294 extent-info-storage 9140 keymaps-used 275 keymap-storage 12100
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295 consoles-used 4 console-storage 384 command-builders-used 2
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296 command-builder-storage 120 devices-used 2 device-storage 344
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297 frames-used 3 frame-storage 624 image-instances-used 47
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298 image-instance-storage 3008 windows-used 27 windows-freed 2
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299 window-storage 9180 lcrecord-lists-used 15
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300 lcrecord-list-storage 360 hash-tables-used 631
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301 hash-table-storage 25240 streams-used 1 streams-on-free-list 3
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302 streams-freed 12 stream-storage 91))
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303 @end group
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304 @end example
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305
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306 Here is a table explaining each element:
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307
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308 @table @var
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309 @item used-conses
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310 The number of cons cells in use.
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311
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312 @item free-conses
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313 The number of cons cells for which space has been obtained from the
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314 operating system, but that are not currently being used.
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315
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316 @item used-syms
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317 The number of symbols in use.
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318
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319 @item free-syms
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320 The number of symbols for which space has been obtained from the
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321 operating system, but that are not currently being used.
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322
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323 @item used-markers
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324 The number of markers in use.
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325
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326 @item free-markers
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327 The number of markers for which space has been obtained from the
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328 operating system, but that are not currently being used.
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329
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330 @item used-string-chars
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331 The total size of all strings, in characters.
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332
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333 @item used-vector-slots
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334 The total number of elements of existing vectors.
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335
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336 @item plist
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337 A list of alternating keyword/value pairs providing more detailed
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338 information. (As you can see above, quite a lot of information is
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339 provided.)
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340 @ignore @c Different in XEmacs
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341
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342 @item used-floats
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343 @c Emacs 19 feature
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344 The number of floats in use.
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345
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346 @item free-floats
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347 @c Emacs 19 feature
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348 The number of floats for which space has been obtained from the
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349 operating system, but that are not currently being used.
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350 @end ignore
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351 @end table
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352 @end deffn
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353
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354 @defopt gc-cons-threshold
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355 The value of this variable is the number of bytes of storage that must
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356 be allocated for Lisp objects after one garbage collection in order to
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357 trigger another garbage collection. A cons cell counts as eight bytes,
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358 a string as one byte per character plus a few bytes of overhead, and so
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359 on; space allocated to the contents of buffers does not count. Note
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360 that the subsequent garbage collection does not happen immediately when
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361 the threshold is exhausted, but only the next time the Lisp evaluator is
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362 called.
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363
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364 The initial threshold value is 500,000. If you specify a larger
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365 value, garbage collection will happen less often. This reduces the
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366 amount of time spent garbage collecting, but increases total memory use.
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367 You may want to do this when running a program that creates lots of
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368 Lisp data.
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369
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370 You can make collections more frequent by specifying a smaller value,
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371 down to 10,000. A value less than 10,000 will remain in effect only
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372 until the subsequent garbage collection, at which time
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373 @code{garbage-collect} will set the threshold back to 10,000. (This does
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374 not apply if XEmacs was configured with @samp{--debug}. Therefore, be
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375 careful when setting @code{gc-cons-threshold} in that case!)
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376 @end defopt
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377
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444
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378 @ignore
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428
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379 @c Emacs 19 feature
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380 @defun memory-limit
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381 This function returns the address of the last byte XEmacs has allocated,
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382 divided by 1024. We divide the value by 1024 to make sure it fits in a
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383 Lisp integer.
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384
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385 You can use this to get a general idea of how your actions affect the
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386 memory usage.
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387 @end defun
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444
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388 @end ignore
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428
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389
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390 @defvar pre-gc-hook
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391 This is a normal hook to be run just before each garbage collection.
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392 Interrupts, garbage collection, and errors are inhibited while this hook
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393 runs, so be extremely careful in what you add here. In particular,
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394 avoid consing, and do not interact with the user.
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395 @end defvar
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396
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397 @defvar post-gc-hook
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398 This is a normal hook to be run just after each garbage collection.
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399 Interrupts, garbage collection, and errors are inhibited while this hook
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400 runs, so be extremely careful in what you add here. In particular,
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401 avoid consing, and do not interact with the user.
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402 @end defvar
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403
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404 @defvar gc-message
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405 This is a string to print to indicate that a garbage collection is in
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406 progress. This is printed in the echo area. If the selected frame is
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407 on a window system and @code{gc-pointer-glyph} specifies a value (i.e. a
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408 pointer image instance) in the domain of the selected frame, the mouse
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409 cursor will change instead of this message being printed.
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410 @end defvar
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411
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412 @defvr Glyph gc-pointer-glyph
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413 This holds the pointer glyph used to indicate that a garbage collection
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414 is in progress. If the selected window is on a window system and this
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415 glyph specifies a value (i.e. a pointer image instance) in the domain of
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416 the selected window, the cursor will be changed as specified during
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417 garbage collection. Otherwise, a message will be printed in the echo
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418 area, as controlled by @code{gc-message}. @xref{Glyphs}.
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419 @end defvr
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420
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421 If XEmacs was configured with @samp{--debug}, you can set the following
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422 two variables to get direct information about all the allocation that
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423 is happening in a segment of Lisp code.
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424
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425 @defvar debug-allocation
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426 If non-zero, print out information to stderr about all objects
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427 allocated.
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428 @end defvar
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429
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430 @defvar debug-allocation-backtrace
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431 Length (in stack frames) of short backtrace printed out by
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432 @code{debug-allocation}.
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433 @end defvar
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