python for console game development, memory tracking

[Simon Burton]

On Sat, 24 Apr 2004 07:13:06 +0000, Moosebumps wrote:
...
> 
> Before I even begin investigating though, there is a major question I
> have: How can you track the memory usage of Python?  I would like to be
> able to track allocations by function / class, etc.  I have googled and
> seen a bunch of threads with 1 guy asking the same exact question that I
> am, and no responses, which leads me to believe it's very easy or not
> possible.  This would be dealbreaker unfortunately.  But I am optimistic
> that Python is well designed so there must be some solution.
> 
> thanks,
> MB

I was just investigating this myself. Check out pymem.h in the source:

/* SCENARIOS

   Here are two scenarios by Vladimir Marangozov (the author of the
   memory allocation redesign).

   1) Scenario A

   Suppose you want to use a debugging malloc library that collects info on
   where the malloc calls originate from. Assume the interface is:

   d_malloc(size_t n, char* src_file, unsigned long src_line) c.s.

   In this case, you would define (for example in pyconfig.h) :

   #define PyCore_MALLOC_FUNC      d_malloc
   ...
   #define PyCore_MALLOC_PROTO	(size_t, char *, unsigned long)
   ...
   #define NEED_TO_DECLARE_MALLOC_AND_FRIEND

   #define PyCore_MALLOC(n)	PyCore_MALLOC_FUNC((n), __FILE__, __LINE__)
   ...

   2) Scenario B

   Suppose you want to use malloc hooks (defined & initialized in a 3rd party
   malloc library) instead of malloc functions.  In this case, you would
   define:

   #define PyCore_MALLOC_FUNC	(*malloc_hook)
   ...
   #define NEED_TO_DECLARE_MALLOC_AND_FRIEND

   and ignore the previous definitions about PyCore_MALLOC_FUNC, etc.


*/


Simon.