Memory Management in LiveCode

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SirWobbyTheFirst
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Memory Management in LiveCode

Post by SirWobbyTheFirst » Tue May 29, 2012 3:45 pm

Hey everyone, I have a question for you all, a bit of a meeting of minds with regards to LiveCode........well more a series of questions because I can never quite have just one question as opposed to everyone else.......hmm, more of a discussion, oh to hell with describing it.

How does LiveCode work with memory, some of us know that it is based on C++ right, well how is the engine programmed to work with the RAM? What are the limits for the engine, I know 32-bit processes on 32-bit Windows is technically 2-3 GB depending on the OS config favouring a divide down the middle between kernel and user mode but what about on 64-bit operating systems? And what happens when LiveCode does reach that limit, say theoretically (In other words, I'm too scared to try out) someone loaded up hundreds, maybes thousands of stacks which all munched on the memory available to the LiveCode EXE, what would happen to LiveCode and what would it do about it? And finally given that a stack remains in memory until it is unloaded by the engine, how do you think paging would affect the engine and stacks could it allow for more stacks to be loaded into this limit for example?

I know these are some strange questions but my hunger for knowledge just keeps shouting MOAR!!!

PS. I hope you enjoyed my descent into madness.

PSS. Also how are you all today? :)

mwieder
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Re: Memory Management in LiveCode

Post by mwieder » Tue May 29, 2012 5:27 pm

LOL. Thanks. That made my morning.

Anyway, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the LiveCode engine doesn't do very well under low-memory conditions. My experience has been that it just grobbles on as though there were plenty of RAM, no worries. And then you get unexplainable errors. If you want to try this yourself, set up a Virtualbox VM and assign it just enough memory so you don't offend the guest OS. Then try loading a large stack. I'd love to have the engine be more robust, but I don't think it's a priority for the rev team.

SirWobbyTheFirst
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Re: Memory Management in LiveCode

Post by SirWobbyTheFirst » Tue May 29, 2012 5:31 pm

just enough memory so you don't offend the guest OS
That was beautiful man. Manly tears trickled down my cheeks.

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