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Unused memory unrecoverable?
Discuss Unused memory unrecoverable? in the Python Programming forum on Dev Shed.
Unused memory unrecoverable? Python Programming forum discussing coding techniques, tips and tricks, and Zope related information. Python was designed from the ground up to be a completely object-oriented programming language.
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September 3rd, 2003, 08:23 PM
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Contributing User
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 35
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Unused memory unrecoverable?
So I'm writing a program in Python, and comparing the memory usage of arrays to hash tables... And when testing arrays, I write the following two pieces of code.
The first:
Code:
from random import randint, seed, sample
from bisect import insort_left
from time import time
array = []
seed(5)
# record when operation begins
t_beg = time()
# for 10 iterations
for i in range(10):
# maintaining order, insert 2000 random [x, y] pairs into the array
for j in xrange(2000):
insort_left(array, [randint(0, 0xFFFFFFF), randint(0, 0xFFFFFFF)])
# now delete 500 randomly chosen pairs
rem = sample(xrange(len(array)), 500)
rem.sort()
rem.reverse()
for j in rem:
del array[j]
# record when operation ends
t_end = time()
# print statistics
print "took " + str(t_end - t_beg) + " seconds"
print "size is " + str(len(array))
The secod piece of code is just like the first, but I delete 12000 randomly chosen elements of the array at the end:
Code:
from random import randint, seed, sample
from bisect import insort_left
from time import time
array = []
seed(5)
# record when operation begins
t_beg = time()
# for 10 iterations
for i in range(10):
# maintaining order, insert 2000 random [x, y] pairs into the array
for j in xrange(2000):
insort_left(array, [randint(0, 0xFFFFFFF), randint(0, 0xFFFFFFF)])
# now delete 500 randomly chosen pairs
rem = sample(xrange(len(array)), 500)
rem.sort()
rem.reverse()
for j in rem:
del array[j]
# record when operation ends
t_end = time()
# 10*(2000-500) = 15000 entries exist; delete 12000 (80%) at random
rem = sample(xrange(len(array)), 12000)
rem.sort()
rem.reverse()
for j in rem:
del array[j]
# print statistics
print "took " + str(t_end - t_beg) + " seconds"
print "size is " + str(len(array))
Now after deleting 12000 elements of the array, you'd think that memory would be recovered, right? Well through the pseudo-scientific method of bringing up task manager in Windows XP and watching the memory usage of python.exe in the Processes tab, it seems the memory isn't reclaimed -- both code segments occupy approximately the same amount of memory after execution (1.5 MB). For the second piece of code, I even tried importing the garbage collector module and running gc.collect(), but to no avail. What gives?
Thanks,
- theperfectsoup
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September 4th, 2003, 06:42 AM
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Hello World :)
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Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Hull, UK
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Oh ok, i'll have to test this myself when I get home.. just a few questions - always seem to be asking Q's - what version of Python are you using? Does isenabled() return true?  also, when the program has finished the memory is returned anyway right?
Have fun,
Mark.
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September 4th, 2003, 02:32 PM
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Contributing User
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 35
Time spent in forums: < 1 sec
Reputation Power: 10
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I'm using Python version 2.3. The call gc.isenabled() returns 1 (True). And when I quit Python, the memory is all recovered.
After experimenting a little more, here are some other interesting facts I've found...
1. After you delete the 12,000 elements of the array, if you then allocate 12,000 elements (bringing the total back up to 15,000), then memory usage does NOT increase. So when you delete those 12,000 elements, the memory is put aside for future allocated elements to use, but it is not released by the Python interpreter.
2. If you use the Array module, which basically creates underlying arrays in C, allocate 15,000 elements, and then delete 12,000 you can clearly see the memory being freed via task manager. This is the behavior I want, but the problem is I need to store 80-bit numbers and Array only typically allows 32-bit (64-bit for floating point). I've thought about splitting up the 80-bit values across three Array variables -- one for the highest 32-bits, the next for the middle 32-bits, and the last for the lowest 16-bits, but because of the way I'm storing data (including multidimensional arrays, which Array does not allow), that falls through. Oh well.
- theperfectsoup
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September 4th, 2003, 06:05 PM
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Hello World :)
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Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Hull, UK
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I surpose in a way it makes a strange kinda sence for the interpriter to try hold onto the memory it's used untill it's done - not that thats what it does - that way it doesn't have to play tag with other programs, once it has it it doesn't have to let it go and get it back again , Just one point of view 
Strange problem your having there, what exactly are you trying to do that requires putting numbers that long in a list? sounds interesting though..by 32 bit you mean a number with 32 trailing 0's?
Have fun,
Mark.
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