[Python-Dev] Activating pymalloc (original) (raw)

Tim Peters tim.one@comcast.net
Fri, 15 Mar 2002 05:35:16 -0500

[Michael Hudson]

I think one of the reasons lots of modules break is that back in the 1.5.2 days, PyObjectDel didn't exist, and you were expected to use PyMemDel. This now breaks.

You mean this breaks if pymalloc is enabled, right? Else they're just more ways to spell "free()".

I wonder whether it's actually a good idea for PyMem_New (etc) to keep on calling malloc/free even when pymalloc is enabled. Anyone think they know a reason (other than theoretical purity ) for why pymalloc only targets the PyObject family? If Michael is right, the current distinction is indeed guaranteed to break just about every extension written for 1.5.2. It's also plain irritating that if you have, e.g., a gazillion tiny lists, only the list headers will enjoy pymalloc's speed & memory savings (the guts still get allocated via PyMem_XXX).