[plt-scheme] Weak boxes and uncollected values

On 7/25/06, Carl Eastlund <cce at ccs.neu.edu> wrote:
> On 7/25/06, Matthew Flatt <mflatt at cs.utah.edu> wrote:
> > At Tue, 25 Jul 2006 15:05:51 -0400, "Carl Eastlund" wrote:
> > > > > Certain values, such as #t and fixnum integers, don't "vanish" from
> > > > > weak boxes after garbage collection, even when there don't seem to be
> > > > > any outside references.
> >
> > There are still references somewhere. In particular, if you read `#t',
> > you get back an object that is `eq?' to the key in the hash table.
> > That's true for `7', too, if you use 7 as a key.
> >
> > Since you can still reach the key, the mapping stays in the hash table.
>
> Are you trying to tell me mzscheme keeps around a reference to every
> fixnum the program ever generates, just in case it might happen to
> compute the same number again?  I don't believe you, or I'm seriously
> misunderstanding your statement.

Wait, I think I see your point.  You are motivating weak box behavior
by weak hash table behavior.  Because values eq? to #t and 4 can be
generated later in the program, hash table entries with those keys
must be kept indefinitely.  So for consistency, weak box values are
kept as well.

-- 
Carl Eastlund