Re: how much memory each Perl variable uses

I can start sprinkling Devel::Size::size() calls around the code, but that would be rather annoying,

If you run Devel::Size against %:: in the outermost loop of your program and then compare the output from one run to the next, it can help you isolate where the memory growth is occuring, you can then look more closely at the relevant area(s). (BTW: You'll need v0.72; 0.71 will blow up in mysterious way if you try this.)

use Devel::Size qw[ total_size];;

printf "%30s: %d\n", $_, total_size( $::{ $_ } ) for keys %::;;
_<C:/Perl64/site/lib/auto/Cwd/Cwd.dll: 499
                     version::: 13009
                             /: 490
                        stderr: 303
                           SIG: 5964
                             ,: 509
                         Tie::: 7454
                        utf8::: 5741
                             ": 405
                    constant::: 28942
                          re::: 44435
                  DynaLoader::: 63651
                         mro::: 5947
                       Devel::: 32202
                         Cwd::: 126954
                      strict::: 9683
                        stdout: 303
                             &#8597;: 274
                             |: 500
                      Regexp::: 1266
                        Term::: 1096
                         _code: 493
                   UNIVERSAL::: 3012
                    overload::: 59362
                             $: 293
                          time: 994
                        File::: 82769
                &#8597;E_TRIE_MAXBUF: 323
                         Dos::: 831
                          size: 964
                        Data::: 168049
              _<..\universal.c: 403
                &#8597;E_DEBUG_FLAGS: 319
                     _<HiRes.c: 381
                         BEGIN: 253
                    _<..\mro.c: 391
                             !: 517
                          IO::: 1101
                             &#9788;: 517
                    total_size: 988
                             &#8593;: 370
                            pp: 19157
                             _: 497
                  ActivePerl::: 137287
   _<C:/Perl64/lib/constant.pm: 463
                    Exporter::: 120414
                   Internals::: 4478
                         STDIN: 253
                      Config::: 113324
                    warnings::: 93953
                          DB::: 1071
                        Time::: 47484
                        EPOC::: 833
                   _<.\win32.c: 393
                             &#9644;: 936
                   _<perllib.c: 393
                             2: 524
                       _<Cwd.c: 375
                      cmpthese: 37036
                             1: 533
                  &#8616;ARNING_BITS: 553
                        CORE::: 1086
                      _<Size.c: 379
                   Win32CORE::: 1174
                  attributes::: 1176
                         stdin: 301
                          ARGV: 499
                           INC: 5306
             _<..\activeperl.c: 405
_<C:/Perl64/site/lib/auto/Devel/Size/Size.dll: 533
                      Scalar::: 2018
                           ENV: 10062
                             ?: 493
                        vars::: 15120
                        subs::: 5644
                 _<..\perlio.c: 397
                 _<Win32CORE.c: 397
                    XSLoader::: 27593
                        main::: 1006356
                  AutoLoader::: 40075
                         VMS::: 2363
                        Carp::: 44867
                       Win32::: 17184
                      PerlIO::: 3024
                             0: 541
                            : 850
                _<..\xsutils.c: 399
                             @: 1074
                   Benchmark::: 200847
                             n: 282
                        STDOUT: 255
                             3: 504
                             ]: 393
_<C:/Perl64/lib/auto/Time/HiRes/HiRes.dll: 509
                             &#8616;: 499
                        MIME::: 1412
                        STDERR: 255
                 ActiveState::: 72715
                  _<dl_win32.c: 401
                         sleep: 998
[download]

It won't always find the leak, but it can point you in the right direction.

Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error.

"Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority".

In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice.

RIP PCW It is as I've been saying!(Audio until 20090817)

Comment on Re: how much memory each Perl variable uses Select or Download Code

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Re^2: how much memory each Perl variable uses by amir_e_a (Hermit) on Sep 09, 2009 at 10:42 UTC
Thanks a lot! This looks like the right direction, but for some reason on my machine it immediately crashes: `7 [main] perl 4156 _cygtls::handle_exceptions: Error while dumping sta +te (probably corrupted stack) Segmentation fault (core dumped)` [download] Maybe Devel::Size can't work on Cygwin? (Strange, but possible...)	[reply] [d/l]
Re^3: how much memory each Perl variable uses by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Sep 09, 2009 at 11:20 UTC
Maybe Devel::Size can't work on Cygwin? (Strange, but possible...) It only inspects Perl's internal structures, so should run anywhere Perl does, but since I don't use Cygwin, I neither know nor care. Why not run your script native for the purposes of solving your problem? Either on a native *nix platform if that's your target and your reason for using Cygwin (though developing under an emulator is a silly idea). Or native Win32 if that your target. (If so, why use the emulator?) Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error. "Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority". In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice. RIP PCW It is as I've been saying!(Audio until 20090817)	[reply]
Re^4: how much memory each Perl variable uses by amir_e_a (Hermit) on Sep 09, 2009 at 12:04 UTC
The target is not supposed to be important. I'd love to run it on Linux in principle, and it would be faster, too, but i don't have a Linux machine anywhere around. I use Cygwin Perl, because on Windows it's the friendliest environment for installing CPAN packages. Strawberry Perl tries to be friendly, but from my experience it isn't mature enough. ActivePerl is not CPAN-friendly at all.	[reply]
Re^5: how much memory each Perl variable uses by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Sep 09, 2009 at 12:23 UTC
Re^2: how much memory each Perl variable uses by amir_e_a (Hermit) on Sep 09, 2009 at 10:45 UTC
...And besides, doesn't this approach miss out on "my" variables? Most of the variables there are defined as "my". Correct me if i'm wrong.	[reply]
Re^3: how much memory each Perl variable uses by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Sep 09, 2009 at 11:16 UTC
Yes, but if you combine it with Devel::DumpSizes it can help you track down problems. Examine what is said, not who speaks -- Silence betokens consent -- Love the truth but pardon error. "Science is about questioning the status quo. Questioning authority". In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice. RIP PCW It is as I've been saying!(Audio until 20090817)	[reply]


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