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RE: Set x to to None and del x doesn't release memory in python 2.7.1 (HPUX 11.23, ia64)

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Apologies as after I have left the group for a while I have forgotten how not to post a question on top of another question. Very sorry and appreciate your replies. 

I tried explicitly calling gc.collect() and didn't manage to see the memory footprint reduced. I probably haven't left the process idle long enough to see the internal garbage collection takes place but I will leave it idle for more than 8 hours and check again. Thanks! 

-----Original Message-----
From: Python-list [mailto:python-list-bounces+wahmeng=freescale.com@python.org] On Behalf Of Bryan Devaney
Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2013 6:25 PM
To: python-list@python.org
Cc: python-list@python.org
Subject: Re: Set x to to None and del x doesn't release memory in python 2.7.1 (HPUX 11.23, ia64)

On Wednesday, March 6, 2013 10:11:12 AM UTC, Wong Wah Meng-R32813 wrote:
> Hello there,
> 
> 
> 
> I am using python 2.7.1 built on HP-11.23 a Itanium 64 bit box. 
> 
> 
> 
> I discovered following behavior whereby the python process doesn't seem to release memory utilized even after a variable is set to None, and "deleted". I use glance tool to monitor the memory utilized by this process. Obviously after the for loop is executed, the memory used by this process has hiked to a few MB. However, after "del" is executed to both I and str variables, the memory of that process still stays at where it was. 
> 
> 
> 
> Any idea why?
> 
> 
> 
> >>> for i in range(100000L):
> 
> ...     str=str+"%s"%(i,) 
> 
> ... 
> 
> >>> i=None
> 
> >>> str=None
> 
> >>> del i
> 
> >>> del str

Hi, I'm new here so I'm making mistakes too but I know they don't like it when you ask your question in someone else's question. 

that being said, to answer your question:

Python uses a 'garbage collector'. When you delete something, all references are removed from the object in memory, the memory itself will not be freed until the next time the garbage collector runs. When that happens, all objects without references in memory are removed and the memory freed.  If you wait a while you should see that memory free itself.
-- 
http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list

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  Re: sync databse table based on current directory data without losign previous values Lele Gaifax <lele@metapensiero.it> - 2013-03-06 09:19 +0100
    Re: sync databse table based on current directory data without losign previous values Νίκος Γκρ33κ <nikos.gr33k@gmail.com> - 2013-03-06 00:57 -0800
      Re: sync databse table based on current directory data without losign previous values Lele Gaifax <lele@metapensiero.it> - 2013-03-06 10:24 +0100
        Re: sync databse table based on current directory data without losign previous values Νίκος Γκρ33κ <nikos.gr33k@gmail.com> - 2013-03-06 01:41 -0800
          Re: sync databse table based on current directory data without losign previous values Νίκος Γκρ33κ <nikos.gr33k@gmail.com> - 2013-03-06 01:43 -0800
            Re: sync databse table based on current directory data without losign previous values Bryan Devaney <bryan.devaney@gmail.com> - 2013-03-06 02:15 -0800
            Re: sync databse table based on current directory data without losign previous values Bryan Devaney <bryan.devaney@gmail.com> - 2013-03-06 02:15 -0800
          Re: sync databse table based on current directory data without losign previous values Νίκος Γκρ33κ <nikos.gr33k@gmail.com> - 2013-03-06 01:43 -0800
          Re: sync databse table based on current directory data without losign previous values Lele Gaifax <lele@metapensiero.it> - 2013-03-06 11:27 +0100
          Re: sync databse table based on current directory data without losign previous values Dave Angel <davea@davea.name> - 2013-03-06 08:31 -0500
          Re: sync databse table based on current directory data without losign previous values Lele Gaifax <lele@metapensiero.it> - 2013-03-06 15:16 +0100
        Re: sync databse table based on current directory data without losign previous values Νίκος Γκρ33κ <nikos.gr33k@gmail.com> - 2013-03-06 01:41 -0800
    Re: sync databse table based on current directory data without losign previous values Νίκος Γκρ33κ <nikos.gr33k@gmail.com> - 2013-03-06 00:57 -0800
  Set x to  to None and del x doesn't release memory in python 2.7.1 (HPUX 11.23, ia64) Wong Wah Meng-R32813 <r32813@freescale.com> - 2013-03-06 10:11 +0000
    Re: Set x to  to None and del x doesn't release memory in python 2.7.1 (HPUX 11.23, ia64) Bryan Devaney <bryan.devaney@gmail.com> - 2013-03-06 02:25 -0800
      RE: Set x to  to None and del x doesn't release memory in python 2.7.1 (HPUX 11.23, ia64) Wong Wah Meng-R32813 <r32813@freescale.com> - 2013-03-06 12:31 +0000
      Re: Set x to  to None and del x doesn't release memory in python 2.7.1 (HPUX 11.23, ia64) Dave Angel <davea@davea.name> - 2013-03-06 08:18 -0500
      Re: Set x to  to None and del x doesn't release memory in python 2.7.1 (HPUX 11.23, ia64) Dave Angel <davea@davea.name> - 2013-03-06 08:25 -0500
    Re: Set x to  to None and del x doesn't release memory in python 2.7.1 (HPUX 11.23, ia64) Bryan Devaney <bryan.devaney@gmail.com> - 2013-03-06 02:25 -0800
    Re: Set x to  to None and del x doesn't release memory in python 2.7.1 (HPUX 11.23, ia64) Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2013-03-06 23:34 +0000
      RE: Set x to  to None and del x doesn't release memory in python 2.7.1 (HPUX 11.23, ia64) Wong Wah Meng-R32813 <r32813@freescale.com> - 2013-03-07 06:33 +0000
      Re: Set x to to None and del x doesn't release memory in python 2.7.1 (HPUX 11.23, ia64) Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-03-07 18:19 +1100
      RE: Set x to to None and del x doesn't release memory in python 2.7.1 (HPUX 11.23, ia64) Wong Wah Meng-R32813 <r32813@freescale.com> - 2013-03-08 09:08 +0000
      Re: Set x to to None and del x doesn't release memory in python 2.7.1 (HPUX 11.23, ia64) Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2013-03-08 19:40 -0500
      RE: Set x to to None and del x doesn't release memory in python 2.7.1 (HPUX 11.23, ia64) Wong Wah Meng-R32813 <r32813@freescale.com> - 2013-03-09 08:07 +0000
        Re: Set x to to None and del x doesn't release memory in python 2.7.1 (HPUX 11.23, ia64) Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2013-03-09 19:18 +0000
          Re: Set x to to None and del x doesn't release memory in python 2.7.1 (HPUX 11.23, ia64) Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-03-09 15:04 -0500
            Re: Set x to to None and del x doesn't release memory in python 2.7.1 (HPUX 11.23, ia64) Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2013-03-09 20:35 +0000
              Re: Set x to to None and del x doesn't release memory in python 2.7.1 (HPUX 11.23, ia64) Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2013-03-09 16:44 -0500
                Re: Set x to to None and del x doesn't release memory in python 2.7.1 (HPUX 11.23, ia64) Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2013-03-11 14:27 +0000
      Re: Set x to to None and del x doesn't release memory in python 2.7.1 (HPUX 11.23, ia64) Dave Angel <davea@davea.name> - 2013-03-09 06:02 -0500
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  RE: Set x to  to None and del x doesn't release memory in python 2.7.1 (HPUX 11.23, ia64) Wong Wah Meng-R32813 <r32813@freescale.com> - 2013-03-06 12:36 +0000
  Re: sync databse table based on current directory data without losign previous values Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2013-03-07 00:40 +1100
  Re: sync databse table based on current directory data without losign previous values "Michael Ross" <gmx@ross.cx> - 2013-03-06 15:04 +0100
    Re: sync databse table based on current directory data without losign previous values nagia.retsina@gmail.com - 2013-03-06 08:09 -0800
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