[Python-Dev] Re: [Python-bugs-list] PRIVATE: interned->ma_table never free'd (PR#361)

[M.-A. Lemburg]

cfandrich@8cs.com wrote:
> 
> Full_Name: Christopher Fandrich
> Version: 1.5.2
> OS: Windows
> Submission from: (NULL) (208.41.174.4)
> 
> I'm embedding Python in an application.  For now, all I'm doing is initializing
> and finalizing Python.
> 
> When I run my app I get a memory leak of 12288 bytes.  The memory is malloc'ed
> by dictresize() which is called by PyDict_SetItem() which is called by
> PyString_InternInPlace().
> 
> For now, I've added
>     PyDict_Clear(interned);
>     interned = NULL;
> to PyString_Fini().  So far it works fine, but I don't know if it's safe to do
> in the grand scheme of things.

I would suggest adding code to dealloc the interned dict
iff it is empty after the sweeping action in PyString_Fini().
I have a feeling that this is not the case though, since interned
strings are used quite a lot in the core interpreter (e.g. in
classobject.c) and these are usually not recovered.

Perhaps we ought to add some code which takes care of cleaning
up all remaining garbage left over after the call to
call_ll_exitfuncs() in Py_Finalize(), e.g. force free'ing
of all interned strings and cached ints/floats and associated
free lists or dicts.

We'd need new APIs in string|float|intobject.c to implement this.

Thoughts ? Patches ?

-- 
Marc-Andre Lemburg
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