garbage collector

[Chia-Tien Dan Lo]

Root set is a set that contains object pointers from stacks, registers
and global (static) variables. The root set is the collection of roots in
a object reference graph (may be a forest of trees). All objects reachable
from the root set are marked as live. 

Dan Lo
 
 On Wed, 20 Feb 2002, Sanjiv Kumar Gupta wrote:

> 
> I am trying to understand the implementation of the Kaffe garbage collector.
> The first step of the Mark phase there is to wall all root Objects and mark
> them as grey. Could anybody tell me what do we mean by root Objects or root
> set etc. and why do we start marking from them.
> 
> Regards
> Sanjiv
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: wang wenzhong [mailto:mypigeon at 263.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2001 2:14 PM
> To: kaffe at rufus.w3.org
> Subject: garbage collector
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The garbage collector begin its mark phase from scaning and marking
> registered root references object,then walk and mark other reachable
> objects.
> 
> The file gcRefs.c defines two functions:gc_add_ref and gc_rm_ref,the first
> one add a persistent reference to an object (stored in a hashtable ),the
> next function remove a persistent reference to an object. 
> 
> I know many functions invoke gc_add_ref to add a references to an object,but
> I hardly find corresponding invoking about gc_rm_ref .
> 
> I want to know,how garbage collector (or kaffe ?) maintain it's hashtable of
> root references object(not only add,but also delete) ?
> 
> thanks
>