require "delegate" # Weak Reference class that allows a referenced object to be # garbage-collected. # # A WeakRef may be used exactly like the object it references. # # Usage: # # foo = Object.new # create a new object instance # p foo.to_s # original's class # foo = WeakRef.new(foo) # reassign foo with WeakRef instance # p foo.to_s # should be same class # GC.start # start the garbage collector # p foo.to_s # should raise exception (recycled) # # == Example # # With help from WeakRef, we can implement our own redimentary WeakHash class. # # We will call it WeakHash, since it's really just a Hash except all of it's # keys and values can be garbage collected. # # require 'weakref' # # class WeakHash < Hash # def []= key, obj # super WeakRef.new(key), WeakRef.new(obj) # end # end # # This is just a simple implementation, we've opened the Hash class and changed # Hash#store to create a new WeakRef object with +key+ and +obj+ parameters # before passing them as our key-value pair to the hash. # # With this you will have to limit your self to String key's, otherwise you # will get an ArgumentError because WeakRef cannot create a finalizer for a # Symbol. Symbols are immutable and cannot be garbage collected. # # Let's see it in action: # # omg = "lol" # c = WeakHash.new # c['foo'] = "bar" # c['baz'] = Object.new # c['qux'] = omg # puts c.inspect # #=> {"foo"=>"bar", "baz"=>#, "qux"=>"lol"} # # # Now run the garbage collector # GC.start # c['foo'] #=> nil # c['baz'] #=> nil # c['qux'] #=> nil # omg #=> "lol" # # puts c.inspect # #=> WeakRef::RefError: Invalid Reference - probably recycled # # You can see the local variable +omg+ stayed, although it's reference in our # hash object was garbage collected, along with the rest of the keys and # values. Also, when we tried to inspect our hash, we got a WeakRef::RefError, # this is because these objects were also garbage collected. class WeakRef < Delegator ## # RefError is raised when a referenced object has been recycled by the # garbage collector class RefError < StandardError end @@__map = ::ObjectSpace::WeakMap.new ## # Creates a weak reference to +orig+ # # Raises an ArgumentError if the given +orig+ is immutable, such as Symbol, # Fixnum, or Float. def initialize(orig) case orig when true, false, nil @delegate_sd_obj = orig else @@__map[self] = orig end super end def __getobj__ # :nodoc: @@__map[self] or defined?(@delegate_sd_obj) ? @delegate_sd_obj : Kernel::raise(RefError, "Invalid Reference - probably recycled", Kernel::caller(2)) end def __setobj__(obj) # :nodoc: end ## # Returns true if the referenced object is still alive. def weakref_alive? @@__map.key?(self) or defined?(@delegate_sd_obj) end end if __FILE__ == $0 # require 'thread' foo = Object.new p foo.to_s # original's class foo = WeakRef.new(foo) p foo.to_s # should be same class ObjectSpace.garbage_collect ObjectSpace.garbage_collect p foo.to_s # should raise exception (recycled) end