Python 2.0

[Greg Ewing]

Graham Matthews wrote:
> 
> Actually Blake I have a feeling that I have read a paper somewhere that
> says that a mark sweep collector with refcounts can in fact patch up
> refcount errors,

Obviously this is true if the M&S can be sure of finding
all the roots, since the refcount information is then
redundant.

But if there are roots that the M&S can miss (e.g. on
the C stack or in data structures managed by an extension
module) then it's still just as important as ever to keep
the refcounts correct, since the M&S needs them to make
sure it doesn't make a mistake.

Greg