If a foreign pointer object corresponds to memory that was not allocated by the GC garbage collector, then a function to properly deallocate this memory when the Pointer object that stores this pointer is garbage collected should be called. The function should take a single argument, a foreign object, typically of type voidstar, which corresponds to the memory to deallocate.
i1 : malloc = foreignFunction("malloc", voidstar, ulong)
o1 = malloc
o1 : ForeignFunction
|
i2 : free = foreignFunction("free", void, voidstar)
o2 = free
o2 : ForeignFunction
|
i3 : finalizer = x -> (print("freeing memory at " | net x); free x)
o3 = finalizer
o3 : FunctionClosure
|
i4 : for i to 9 do (x := malloc 8; registerFinalizer(x, finalizer))
|
i5 : collectGarbage()
freeing memory at 0x75ba180664e0
freeing memory at 0x75ba18068930
freeing memory at 0x75ba1805e3a0
freeing memory at 0x75ba18068960
freeing memory at 0x75ba180688a0
freeing memory at 0x75ba18066500
freeing memory at 0x75ba18052bb0
freeing memory at 0x75ba180682a0
freeing memory at 0x75ba180682c0
freeing memory at 0x75ba180664c0
|