forum.vdsworld.com

tim6389 · Professional Member Joined: 01 Aug 2002 Posts: 790

ok mac BUT if you don't have a whole txt file in a var Smile

lets say you have one line like but you have may lines like this

%%tim = timwhatever

HOW much memory would you save on somethimes like that? the resaon i'am asking yes i have more then one varible so i would like to cal. it out how much (about) i would save if i clear all my var.

thanks

Mac · Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 9:00 pm Post subject:

Each character in a text file is approx one byte, so
if you have 10 chars in a var, clearing it should
free up about 10 bytes of memory (I think).

Someone correct me if this is not true...

Cheers, Mac Smile

Mac · Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 9:30 pm Post subject:

NEWS FLASH! Sheep was correct... Shocked

VDS does NOT release vars when they are cleared
(VDS3 doesn't anyway). Since I didn't want to hand
code over a hundred vars to check this, I wrote this
program that writes the actual DSC file to test the
theory. The first 120 load and clear just fine, but
the second group doesn't (VDS3 has a 128 custom
var limit).

Would one of you guys test this with VDS4?

Run this, then run the testA.dsc file that it creates.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SnarlingSheep · Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 9:44 pm Post subject:

Why's it such a big news flash that I was right? It happens sometimes Wink

Ran with VDS 4 and got invalid varible name or too many variables at:
%%var3_17 = 170

Mac · Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 9:46 pm Post subject:

LOL, who said that was the news flash... Razz

Maybe the news was the vars... Wink

Cheers, Mac Smile

tim6389 · Professional Member Joined: 01 Aug 2002 Posts: 790

there is no way clear var to get more memory Sad

Mac · Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 9:50 pm Post subject:

BTW, Sheep - Thanks for running the test. Wink

So now we know that VDS3 and VDS4 both don't
release vars once they're initialized...

Cheers, Mac Smile

Mac · Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 9:52 pm Post subject:

Well Tim, clearing the var still releases the memory used
by its' contents.

The best thing to do is as Sheep first suggested, re-use
the same vars as much as possible, and use the minimum
amount that's practical. Wink

Cheers, Mac Smile

SnarlingSheep · Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 9:53 pm Post subject:

LoL, that would mean you didn't take the chance to make fun of me Mac...you must be slipping Wink

Tim, if you don't have a bunch of variables holding like 10,000 characters, you shouldn't have to worry about them taking up memory.

[Edit] Hmm, I still think memory is set aside for the variable, whether it holds 1,000 characters or none at all. Going to check on my XP computer..anyone have a better test than the XP task manager?

Mac · Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 10:15 pm Post subject:

I never said the var was the news... I said MAYBE... Very Happy

Try this (give it a few seconds):

SnarlingSheep · Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 10:16 pm Post subject:

It shows that the programs memory usage stays the same(2,172k) from when it's opened to when it's closed when using %%Test1 = "" etc. to clear the variables.
So, looks like to me trying to clear variables doesn't gain anything except knowing later on in the program that the variable holds nothing.
Of course I'm still open to try other tests if anyone has any.

Also I hadn't noticed before that VDS 4 has a line wrap after about 550 characters..I was using variables called %%Test1 through 10 holding 540 characters, anymore than that would wrap to the next line and VDS saw it as another (invalid)command.

Mac · Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 10:18 pm Post subject:

We posted together - try my example... Wink

Make sure nothing else is running...

Cheers, Mac Smile

SnarlingSheep · Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 10:22 pm Post subject:

Mac,
That test shows that with var's I lose about 130k then get back about 60k when they are cleared.
Note: Too bad we don't have a developer of VDS around to butt in on questions like these..

SnarlingSheep · Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 10:27 pm Post subject:

Oh and tim, to try and answer your question thuroughly(spelling?) try to reuse variables when you can, and if your variables hold alot of info, clear them, if not I doubt you will gain much. It looks like clearing a variable holding a large amount of data will gain some of the memory back from it.

Mac · Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2002 10:28 pm Post subject:

Yeah, I don't get back near as much as I expected
either Sheep. I dunno if there's a point where that
would change or not. Maybe VDS uses/allows a
minimum amount of RAM, and larger programs
might release more?

I dunno... Confused

Cheers, Mac Smile