Thoughts on a Future Garbage Collector

[Rikki Cattermole via Digitalmars-d]

On 04/12/15 7:36 AM, Jakob Jenkov wrote:
> Hi D devs,
>
> I read recently that D's garbage collector isn't the fastest, and that
> you would like a faster one. I have some thoughts on that.
>
> I have spent about 16 years with Java, and my experience with the
> garbage collector typically falls into one of these two categories:
>
>
> Either the speed of the software didn't matter, and thus the garbage
> collector didn't matter either.
>
> Or, the speed of the software mattered, and the garbage collector was
> never good enough, so you end up designing your software to avoid the
> garbage collector (using arrays and object pools instead of new'ing
> objects).
>
>
> Rather than trying to come up with a "perfect" garbage collector for D I
> would prefer if the memory system could become a first class member of
> the language / libraries. Make it a component you can access. Make it
> possible to:
>
>
> - Hint to the memory system where to allocate an object, meaning hinting
> if it is
>     - shortlived (like within a function), transaction scope (max 60 s
> life time),
>     - permanent singleton etc. Often you already know at allocation
> time. Then the object
>       could be allocated directly at the right "generation" heap.
>
> - Force the GC to run
>
> - ... above, but with a maximum time allowed GC.
>
> - Let developers be able to plug in their own garbage collection
> algorithms.
>
> - Allow multiple memory managers into which you can plug different
> garbage collection strategies, and different heap allocation /
> deallocation strategies (growing and shrinking the heap of a memory
> manager).
>
>
>
> My experience from Java is that one size never really fits all. Open it
> up instead. Let the community "plug in" and I am sure D will get a
> wealth of memory management strategies fast. Not just 1 garbage
> collector, but N garbage collectors.

A little something I've been working on for making into a DIP:
http://wiki.dlang.org/User:Alphaglosined/ManagedMemory

Would it be to your liking?