[Python-Dev] Text about cycle GC

[Paul Prescod]

"A.M. Kuchling" wrote:
> 
> ...
> 
>    An experimental step has been made toward fixing this problem. When
>    compiling Python, the -with-cycle-gc (XXX correct option flag?) option
>    can be specified. This causes a cycle detection algorithm to be
>    periodically executed, which looks for inaccessible cycles and deletes
>    the objects involved.

I propose (without any investigation into the difficulty of
implementation) that 

import cyclicgc

should turn on the -with-cycle-gc flag.

Then you could do a 

import cyclicgc
import someDOM

And not worry about cycles. If it's too slow, you remove the line and
take responsibility for cycle checking. The important thing is that you
don't have to tell YOUR USERS to turn on GC in order for your code to
work.

I think that this model will get more people actively using (and
depending upon!) GC and thus give us a better idea about usage patterns,
stability and performance. This is especially important in the beta
period when we are trying to shake out bugs.

Really, this comes back to Greg's point that we should not have
incompatible sub-languages running around. A module depends on the
feature or it doesn't. The end-user should not be responsible for
knowing whether any module in a whole program needs GC.

-- 
 Paul Prescod - Not encumbered by corporate consensus
The calculus and the rich body of mathematical analysis to which it 
gave rise made modern science possible, but it was the algorithm that 
made the modern world possible.
	- The Advent of the Algorithm (pending), by David Berlinski