Tcl_Preserve
Tcl_Preserve(3) Tcl Library Procedures Tcl_Preserve(3)
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NAME
Tcl_Preserve, Tcl_Release, Tcl_EventuallyFree - avoid freeing storage
while it's being used
SYNOPSIS
#include <tcl.h>
Tcl_Preserve(clientData)
Tcl_Release(clientData)
Tcl_EventuallyFree(clientData, freeProc)
ARGUMENTS
ClientData clientData (in) Token describing structure to be
freed or reallocated. Usually a
pointer to memory for structure.
Tcl_FreeProc *freeProc (in) Procedure to invoke to free
clientData.
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DESCRIPTION
These three procedures help implement a simple reference count mecha-
nism for managing storage. They are designed to solve a problem having
to do with widget deletion, but are also useful in many other situa-
tions. When a widget is deleted, its widget record (the structure
holding information specific to the widget) must be returned to the
storage allocator. However, it's possible that the widget record is in
active use by one of the procedures on the stack at the time of the
deletion. This can happen, for example, if the command associated with
a button widget causes the button to be destroyed: an X event causes
an event-handling C procedure in the button to be invoked, which in
turn causes the button's associated Tcl command to be executed, which
in turn causes the button to be deleted, which in turn causes the but-
ton's widget record to be de-allocated. Unfortunately, when the Tcl
command returns, the button's event-handling procedure will need to
reference the button's widget record. Because of this, the widget
record must not be freed as part of the deletion, but must be retained
until the event-handling procedure has finished with it. In other sit-
uations where the widget is deleted, it may be possible to free the
widget record immediately.
Tcl_Preserve and Tcl_Release implement short-term reference counts for
their clientData argument. The clientData argument identifies an
object and usually consists of the address of a structure. The refer-
ence counts guarantee that an object will not be freed until each call
to Tcl_Preserve for the object has been matched by calls to
Tcl_Release. There may be any number of unmatched Tcl_Preserve calls
in effect at once.
Tcl_EventuallyFree is invoked to free up its clientData argument. It
checks to see if there are unmatched Tcl_Preserve calls for the object.
If not, then Tcl_EventuallyFree calls freeProc immediately. Otherwise
Tcl_EventuallyFree records the fact that clientData needs eventually to
be freed. When all calls to Tcl_Preserve have been matched with calls
to Tcl_Release then freeProc will be called by Tcl_Release to do the
cleanup.
All the work of freeing the object is carried out by freeProc. FreeP-
roc must have arguments and result that match the type Tcl_FreeProc:
typedef void Tcl_FreeProc(char *blockPtr);
The blockPtr argument to freeProc will be the same as the clientData
argument to Tcl_EventuallyFree. The type of blockPtr (char *) is dif-
ferent than the type of the clientData argument to Tcl_EventuallyFree
for historical reasons, but the value is the same.
This mechanism can be used to solve the problem described above by
placing Tcl_Preserve and Tcl_Release calls around actions that may
cause undesired storage re-allocation. The mechanism is intended only
for short-term use (i.e. while procedures are pending on the stack);
it will not work efficiently as a mechanism for long-term reference
counts. The implementation does not depend in any way on the internal
structure of the objects being freed; it keeps the reference counts in
a separate structure.
KEYWORDS
free, reference count, storage
Tcl 7.5 Tcl_Preserve(3)
