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Groups > comp.lang.c > #163554

Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it

From David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no>
Newsgroups comp.lang.c
Subject Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it
Date 2021-11-21 21:51 +0100
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <snebg4$jtk$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References (14 earlier) <875ysmjsfz.fsf@nosuchdomain.example.com> <snc3a0$6gs$1@dont-email.me> <KvhmJ.55056$np6.2360@fx46.iad> <snditr$7l1$1@dont-email.me> <sne3b7$1mre$1@gioia.aioe.org>

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On 21/11/2021 19:32, Manfred wrote:
> On 11/21/2021 2:51 PM, David Brown wrote:
>> On 21/11/2021 02:44, Richard Damon wrote:
>>> On 11/20/21 7:19 PM, Bart wrote:
>>
>>>> It doesn't make sense.
>>
>> I don't want to make a habit of it, but I agree with Bart here :-)
>>
>>>
>>> Maybe not to you, but I would sure hate to have to keep track of all
>>> that data, and would likely just wrap this dumb malloc with something
>>> smarter.
>>
>> And that is /fine/.  For those few cases where it might be inconvenient
>> to know the size at deallocation time, make a wrapper so that the size
>> is tracked.  If you need that functionality, write the code and pay the
>> price - others that don't need the heap to record their allocation sizes
>> shouldn't have to pay for your needs.  It is no different from malloc
>> and calloc - if you want the convenience of zeroing the memory, you can
>> use calloc, but if you don't want it you can use malloc and not pay for
>> the extra effort.
>>
>> Of course it is too late to make such untracked-size heap functions the
>> standard for C - I see it as an unlucky choice made long ago.  After
>> all, if you had "malloc_untracked" and "free_untracked" then it would be
>> a simple matter to implement traditional C "malloc" and "free" on top
>> of it.
> 
> The problem I see with this is that it assumes one and only type of
> metadata information to be associated to the pointer, specifically the
> block size.

No.  It merely relieves the heap implementation from having to store the
size of the allocation.  Any other metadata (such as for tracking free
space lists, or handling efficient multi-threaded access) will still be
needed.

> I believe there are countless implementations of malloc out there, and I
> guess this might not be the case, or it may be the case today but not
> tomorrow.
> The point is that if you set the interface to be pointer+size you also
> put constraints on the implementation, on top of the extra burden for
> the programmer.
> 
How could this suggestion impose any constraints on the implementation?
 The interface for getting the memory is the same (albeit with a
different name, in order to keep compatibility with existing code), and
the interface for freeing memory gives the implementation more
information.  It would be perfectly possible (though a little unhelpful)
for an implementation of the "_untracked" functions to be :

	#define malloc_untracked(size) malloc(size)
	#define free_untracked(ptr, size) free(ptr)

An implementation can do better, given this new information, but there
are no new limitations or restrictions.

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on why declare a struct with a single array in it Meredith Montgomery <mmontgomery@levado.to> - 2021-11-12 15:48 -0300
  Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Guillaume <message@bottle.org> - 2021-11-12 19:56 +0100
    Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2021-11-12 19:31 +0000
      Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-11-12 21:07 +0100
        Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it pozz <pozzugno@gmail.com> - 2021-11-18 15:53 +0100
          Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-11-18 16:13 +0100
            Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Manfred <noname@add.invalid> - 2021-11-18 16:26 +0100
              Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it pozz <pozzugno@gmail.com> - 2021-11-18 17:22 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Manfred <noname@add.invalid> - 2021-11-18 18:04 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Meredith Montgomery <mmontgomery@levado.to> - 2021-11-19 16:00 -0300
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-11-18 22:58 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Guillaume <message@bottle.org> - 2021-11-19 17:53 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-11-19 11:27 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2021-11-19 20:46 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-11-19 12:52 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-11-20 13:36 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-11-20 14:49 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-11-20 15:52 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-11-21 00:19 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-11-20 20:44 -0500
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-11-21 14:51 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Manfred <noname@add.invalid> - 2021-11-21 19:32 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-11-21 21:51 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Manfred <noname@add.invalid> - 2021-11-22 03:17 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-11-22 11:31 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2021-12-10 04:21 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-12-10 14:43 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-11-22 11:56 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2021-12-10 01:47 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-12-10 10:55 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-12-10 14:51 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2021-12-11 06:56 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-12-11 16:04 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-12-11 17:23 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2022-01-21 05:30 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2022-01-21 13:49 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2021-12-11 12:17 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2021-12-12 13:00 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2021-12-12 08:25 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2021-12-12 17:38 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Dick <thiebauddick2@aol.com> - 2021-12-12 16:19 -0500
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2021-12-13 08:06 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2021-12-13 01:30 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-12-13 09:34 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Robert Latest <boblatest@yahoo.com> - 2021-12-13 18:53 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2021-12-13 20:38 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2021-12-15 00:38 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2021-12-15 11:21 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2021-12-15 10:26 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-12-15 10:45 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-12-10 10:52 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Guillaume <message@bottle.org> - 2021-11-22 04:06 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-11-22 11:32 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2021-11-22 13:00 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2021-11-21 13:08 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2021-11-20 20:44 -0500
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-11-21 12:22 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2021-11-20 20:13 -0700
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-11-21 12:35 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2021-11-21 10:53 -0700
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-11-21 18:49 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2021-11-21 13:04 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-11-21 14:42 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Guillaume <message@bottle.org> - 2021-11-21 01:34 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2021-11-21 00:48 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2021-11-20 16:58 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2021-11-21 14:40 +0100
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it "Chris M. Thomasson" <chris.m.thomasson.1@gmail.com> - 2021-11-21 12:59 -0800
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2021-11-21 15:58 +0000
                Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2021-11-20 10:55 +0000
  Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2021-11-13 08:47 +0000
    Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Guillaume <message@bottle.org> - 2021-11-13 18:23 +0100
  Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Kaz Kylheku <480-992-1380@kylheku.com> - 2021-11-13 17:55 +0000
  Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2021-11-19 13:14 +0300
    Re: on why declare a struct with a single array in it Meredith Montgomery <mmontgomery@levado.to> - 2021-11-19 16:07 -0300

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