Not too long ago, I removed the string_destroy() function.[..] I can certainly see the desirability of deleting functions not currently needed, as a way of shrinking the code base, thus making it easier to alter during this early phase of its life.
But what struck me a while back when some gc hook functions were deleted, is that code also serves as memory and design plan, and something is lost when bits of that framework go away. Others are in a far better place to make this tradeoff than I. But one idea which came to mind, is that along with our TODO and KNOWN_ISSUES files, perhaps we could also use a THINGS_TO_REVISIT file. Or DELETED_CODE. Or something. When things get deleted, they go in here, so they aren't lost from the collective memory. They serve as reminders of things once thought important, and if and when we need some of them back, we haven't lost the thought which is embedded in them. string_destroy() seems a quite plausible candidate for deleting. The gc hook functions kind of worried me at the time. I'd be interest in peoples' thoughts on how one handles this kind of thing well. Is anyone wearing a code librarian hat? Musing, Mitchell Date: 23 Dec 2002 07:45:59 -0000 Subject: Re: [perl #19356] [PATCH] creating string_destroy() In-Reply-To: <rt-19356@perl> Message-Id: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] From: Leopold Toetsch (via RT) <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [EMAIL PROTECTED] (via RT) wrote: > # New Ticket Created by [EMAIL PROTECTED] > # Please include the string: [perl #19356] > # in the subject line of all future correspondence about this issue. > # <URL: http://rt.perl.org/rt2/Ticket/Display.html?id=19356 > > > > This patch creates a new function string_destroy(), Not too long ago, I removed the string_destroy() function. With our DOD/GC scheme we IMHO don't need it - strings go away, when they are unused. And second the string_destroy function must have detailed knowledge of Buffers, COWed strings and underlaying allocator (malloc type or copying). I want to have this logic just in one place. leo
