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Subject: Re: [RFC] how to get the size of a malloc(9) block ?
From: Tim Kientzle <kientzle@freebsd.org>
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On Nov 29, 2013, at 3:44 PM, jb <jb.1234abcd@gmail.com> wrote:

> Luigi Rizzo <rizzo <at> iet.unipi.it> writes:
>=20
>> ...=20
>> There is a difference between applications peeking into
>> implementation details that should be hidden, and providing
>> instead limited and specific information through a well defined API.
>> ...
>=20
> Right.
>=20
> If you want to improve memory management, that is, have the system =
(kernel
> or user space) handle memory reallocation intelligently and =
transparently
> to the user, then aim at a well defined API:

Don=92t forget:

 * Request a block of =93at least N bytes=94 and have the
allocator tell you what it *really* allocated.

This allows applications to use memory more efficiently
by taking advantage of over-allocation when it happens.

Tim