Ronan
Posts:
10
Registered:
1/30/09
|
|
Re: matlab/mex function doesn't free memory
Posted:
Feb 4, 2009 9:36 AM
|
|
Praetorian <ashish.sadanandan@gmail.com> wrote in message <c70f9832-2682-4e8b-a87a-06175c26c62a@b41g2000pra.googlegroups.com>...
> On Dec 14, 2:35=A0pm, Rune Allnor <all...@tele.ntnu.no> wrote:
> > On 14 Des, 19:09, "Alex Berkovich" <alex...@tx.technion> wrote:
> >
> > > Hello all,
> >
> > > I'm running a mex function that calls for c code (compiled in the same =
> file as the mex function itself).
> > > when a simulation is done, it seems matlab doesn't release the memory i=
> t uses since i see a growing amount of memory being used by matlab (via tas=
> k manager).
> >
> > > it reaches the limit of my computer and then either crashes or simply c=
> ontinues to run forever.
> >
> > > any suggestion on how to solve this problem is very appriciated.
> >
> > Any data structures you allocate with malloc-type functions
> > (or with new in C++) should be freed by the appropriate
> > corresponding calls to free or delete before your MEX function
> > returns.
> >
> > As for mxCreateXXXX, only use them for whatever you intend to
> > return back to the matlab workspace. I've never understood how
> > the matlab memory managment system works (it seems to be based
> > on some Java-type garbage collector) and I've always ended up
> > with segmentation faults when I used mxFree on local variables
> > inside the MEX function.
> >
> > Rune
>
> If you're using mxFree on variables created using mxCreate* functions
> it'll always result in a memory leak. mxFree will only free the
> mxArray header and not the data pointed to by the header. Use
> mxDestroyArray to free variables allocated using mxCreate* and mxFree
> for those allocated using mxCalloc, mxMalloc and mxRealloc. I only use
> the MEX API functions to manage memory in C mex functions and it works
> just fine.
>
> However, in case of C++ files it's better to use new except for
> mxArray variables as you mentioned, and then free these using delete
> in the class destructor. The MEX API does do it's own garbage
> collection whenever MATLAB terminates a MEX file (because of a call to
> mexErrMsgIdAndTxt for instance) before the mexFunction stack is
> unwound. In this case trying to free memory using mxDestroyArray or
> mxFree in the destructor causes a segv (since the memory has already
> been freed by the garbage collector).
I have a question close to that one..
You said that "The MEX API does do it's own garbage collection whenever MATLAB terminates a MEX file", fine, but what about a function called in a shared library (via calllib) that return a mxArray* and thus, alloc via mxCreate functions ? Is this mxArray destoyed in C++ workspace ?
Thanks..
|
|
