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From: Ruud Schoonderwoerd <ruud@hplb.hpl.hp.com>
Subject: Garbage Collection and Back-pointers
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Date: Thu, 1 Feb 1996 09:53:45 GMT
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Does anybody know if there is a difference between the following two
cases in handling garbage in VisualWorks 2.0/2.5:

- A circular structure: A points to B, B to C and C to A.
- A back-pointer: A points to B and B points to A.

I remember vaguely that someone wrote in this news-group a few days ago,
that you must avoid using back-pointers as much as you can, because the
garbage collector has difficulties with it. Circular structures however,
were allright. If this is true, what is the cause of it?

Thanks in advance,
Ruud.

-- 
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Ruud Schoonderwoerd
HP Labs Bristol
phone: +44 117 922 8009
fax:   +44 117 922 8003
more info: http://dutiws.twi.tudelft.nl/~schoonde
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