constants | attributes | methods
Module

ObjectSpace

Inheritance

The ObjectSpace module contains a number of routines that interact with the garbage collection facility and allow you to traverse all living objects with an iterator.

ObjectSpace also provides support for object finalizers, procs that will be called when a specific object is about to be destroyed by garbage collection. 

   include ObjectSpace

   a = "A"
   b = "B"
   c = "C"

   define_finalizer(a, proc {|id| puts "Finalizer one on #{id}" })
   define_finalizer(a, proc {|id| puts "Finalizer two on #{id}" })
   define_finalizer(b, proc {|id| puts "Finalizer three on #{id}" })

produces: 

   Finalizer three on 537763470
   Finalizer one on 537763480
   Finalizer two on 537763480

Methods

Class

Visibility Signature
public _id2ref (p1)
public add_finalizer (p1)
public call_finalizer (p1)
public define_finalizer (...)
public each_object (...)
public finalizers ()
public garbage_collect ()
public remove_finalizer (p1)
public undefine_finalizer (p1)

Class Method Detail

ObjectSpace._id2ref(object_id) → an_object

Converts an object id to a reference to the object. May not be called on an object id passed as a parameter to a finalizer. 

   s = "I am a string"                    #=> "I am a string"
   r = ObjectSpace._id2ref(s.object_id)   #=> "I am a string"
   r == s                                 #=> true

add_finalizer(p1)

deprecated

call_finalizer(p1)

deprecated

ObjectSpace.define_finalizer(obj, aProc=proc())

Adds aProc as a finalizer, to be called after obj was destroyed.

ObjectSpace.each_object([module]) {|obj| ... } => fixnum

Calls the block once for each living, nonimmediate object in this Ruby process. If module is specified, calls the block for only those classes or modules that match (or are a subclass of) module. Returns the number of objects found. Immediate objects (Fixnums, Symbols true, false, and nil) are never returned. In the example below, each_object returns both the numbers we defined and several constants defined in the Math module. 

   a = 102.7
   b = 95       # Won't be returned
   c = 12345678987654321
   count = ObjectSpace.each_object(Numeric) {|x| p x }
   puts "Total count: #{count}"

produces: 

   12345678987654321
   102.7
   2.71828182845905
   3.14159265358979
   2.22044604925031e-16
   1.7976931348623157e+308
   2.2250738585072e-308
   Total count: 7

finalizers()

deprecated

GC.start => nil
gc.garbage_collect => nil
ObjectSpace.garbage_collect => nil

Initiates garbage collection, unless manually disabled.

remove_finalizer(p1)

deprecated

ObjectSpace.undefine_finalizer(obj)

Removes all finalizers for obj.