[Haskell-cafe] Explicit garbage collection

Miguel Mitrofanov miguelimo38 at yandex.ru
Thu Jan 7 00:52:45 EST 2010


Seems very nice. Thanks.

On 7 Jan 2010, at 08:01, Edward Kmett wrote:

> Here is a slightly nicer version using the Codensity monad of STM.
>
> Thanks go to Andrea Vezzosi for figuring out an annoying hanging bug  
> I was having.
>
> -Edward Kmett
>
> {-# LANGUAGE Rank2Types, GeneralizedNewtypeDeriving, DeriveFunctor #-}
> module STMOracle
>     ( Oracle, Ref
>     , newRef, readRef, writeRef, modifyRef, needRef
>     ) where
>
> import Control.Applicative
> import Control.Monad
> import Control.Concurrent.STM
>
> instance Applicative STM where
>     pure = return
>     (<*>) = ap
>
> newtype Ref s a = Ref (TVar (Maybe a))
> newtype Oracle s a = Oracle { unOracle :: forall r. (a -> STM r) ->  
> STM r } deriving (Functor)
>
> instance Monad (Oracle s) where
>   return x = Oracle (\k -> k x)
>   Oracle m >>= f = Oracle (\k -> m (\a -> unOracle (f a) k))
>
> mkOracle m = Oracle (m >>=)
>
> runOracle :: (forall s. Oracle s a) -> IO a
> runOracle t = atomically (unOracle t return)
>
> newRef :: a -> Oracle s (Ref s a)
> newRef a = mkOracle $ Ref <$> newTVar (Just a)
>
> readRef :: Ref s a -> Oracle s a
> readRef (Ref r) = mkOracle $ do
>     m <- readTVar r
>     maybe retry return m
>
> writeRef :: a -> Ref s a -> Oracle s a
> writeRef a (Ref r) = mkOracle $ do
>     writeTVar r (Just a)
>     return a
>
> modifyRef :: (a -> a) -> Ref s a -> Oracle s a
> modifyRef f r = do
>     a <- readRef r
>     writeRef (f a) r
>
> needRef :: Ref s a -> Oracle s Bool
> needRef (Ref slot) = Oracle $ \k ->
>              (writeTVar slot Nothing >> k False)
>     `orElse` k True
>
> -- test  
> case 
> :                                                                                                                                
> refMaybe b dflt ref = if b then readRef ref else return dflt
> refIgnore ref = return "blablabla"
> refFst ref = fst `fmap` readRef ref
> test = do
>      a <- newRef "x"
>      b <- newRef 1
>      c <- newRef ('z', Just 0)
>      -- no performLocalGC required
>      x <- needRef a
>      y <- needRef b
>      z <- needRef c
>      u <- refMaybe y "t" a -- note that it wouldn't actually read "a",
>                            -- but it won't be known until runtime.
>      w <- refIgnore b
>      v <- refFst c
>      return (x, y, z)
>
>
>
> On Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 10:28 PM, Edward Kmett <ekmett at gmail.com>  
> wrote:
> I don't believe you can get quite the semantics you want. However,  
> you can get reasonably close, by building a manual store and  
> backtracking.
>
> {-# LANGUAGE Rank2Types #-}
> -- lets define an Oracle that tracks whether or not you might need  
> the reference, by backtracking.
> module Oracle
>     ( Oracle, Ref
>     , newRef, readRef, writeRef, modifyRef, needRef
>     ) where
>
> import Control.Applicative
> import Control.Arrow (first)
> import Control.Monad
> import Data.IntMap (IntMap)
> import qualified Data.IntMap as M
> import Unsafe.Coerce (unsafeCoerce)
> import GHC.Prim (Any)
>
> -- we need to track our own worlds, otherwise we'd have to build  
> over ST, change optimistically, and track how to backtrack the state  
> of the Store. Much uglier.
> -- values are stored as 'Any's for safety, see GHC.Prim for a  
> discussion on the hazards of risking the storage of function types  
> using unsafeCoerce as anything else.
> data World s = World { store :: !(IntMap Any), hwm :: !Int }
>
> -- references into our store
> newtype Ref s a = Ref Int deriving (Eq)
>
> -- our monad that can 'see the future' ~ StateT (World s) [] 
> newtype Oracle s a = Oracle { unOracle :: World s -> [(a, World s)] }
>
> -- we rely on the fact that the list is always non-empty for any  
> oracle you can run. we are only allowed to backtrack if we thought  
> we wouldn't need the reference, and wound up needing it, so head  
> will always succeed.
> runOracle :: (forall s. Oracle s a) -> a
> runOracle f = fst $ head $ unOracle f $ World M.empty 1
>
>
> instance Monad (Oracle s) where
>     return a = Oracle $ \w -> [(a,w)]
>     Oracle m >>= k = Oracle $ \s -> do
>         (a,s') <- m s
>         unOracle (k a) s'
>
> -- note: you cannot safely define fail here without risking a crash  
> in runOracle
> -- Similarly, we're not a MonadPlus instance because we always want  
> to succeed eventually.
>
> instance Functor (Oracle s) where
>     fmap f (Oracle g) = Oracle $ \w -> first f <$> g w
>
> instance Applicative (Oracle s) where
>     pure = return
>     (<*>) = ap
>
> -- new ref allocates a fresh slot and inserts the value into the  
> store. the type level brand 's' keeps us safe, and we don't export  
> the Ref constructor.
> newRef :: a -> Oracle s (Ref s a)
> newRef a = Oracle $ \(World w t) ->
>     [(Ref t, World (M.insert t (unsafeCoerce a) w) (t + 1))]
>
> -- readRef is the only thing that ever backtracks, if we try to read  
> a reference we claimed we wouldn't need, then we backtrack to when  
> we decided we didn't need the reference, and continue with its value.
> readRef :: Ref s a -> Oracle s a
> readRef (Ref slot) = Oracle $ \world ->
>     maybe [] (\a -> [(unsafeCoerce a, world)]) $ M.lookup slot  
> (store world)
>
> -- note, writeRef dfoesn't 'need' the ref's current value, so  
> needRef will report False if you writeRef before you read it after  
> this.
> writeRef :: a -> Ref s a -> Oracle s a
> writeRef a (Ref slot) = Oracle $ \world ->
>         [(a, world { store = M.insert slot (unsafeCoerce a) $ store  
> world })]
>
> {-
> -- alternate writeRef where writing 'needs' the ref.
> writeRef :: a -> Ref s a -> Oracle s a
> writeRef a (Ref slot) = Oracle $ \World store v -> do
>     (Just _, store') <- return $ updateLookupWithKey replace slot  
> store
>     [(a, World store' v)]
>   where
>     replace _ _ = Just (unsafeCoerce a)
> -}
>
> -- modifying a reference of course needs its current value.
> modifyRef :: (a -> a) -> Ref s a -> Oracle s a
> modifyRef f r = do
>     a <- readRef r
>     writeRef (f a) r
>
> -- needRef tries to continue executing the world without the element  
> in the store in question. if that fails, then we'll backtrack to  
> here, and try again with the original world, and report that the  
> element was in fact needed.
> needRef :: Ref s a -> Oracle s Bool
> needRef (Ref slot) = Oracle $ \world ->
>     [ (False, world { store = M.delete slot $ store world })
>     , (True, world)
>     ]
>
> -- test case:
> refMaybe b dflt ref = if b then readRef ref else return dflt
> refIgnore ref = return "blablabla"
> refFst ref = fst <$> readRef ref
> test = do
>      a <- newRef "x"
>      b <- newRef 1
>      c <- newRef ('z', Just 0)
>      -- no performLocalGC required
>      x <- needRef a
>      y <- needRef b
>      z <- needRef c
>      u <- refMaybe y "t" a -- note that it wouldn't actually read "a",
>                            -- but it won't be known until runtime.
>      w <- refIgnore b
>      v <- refFst c
>      return (x, y, z)
>
> -- This will disagree with your desired answer, returning:
>
> *Oracle> runOracle test
> Loading package syb ... linking ... done.
> Loading package array-0.2.0.0 ... linking ... done.
> Loading package containers-0.2.0.1 ... linking ... done.
> (False,False,True)
>
> rather than (True, False, True), because the oracle is able to see  
> into the future (via backtracking) to see that refMaybe doesn't use  
> the reference after all.
>
> This probably won't suit your needs, but it was a fun little exercise.
>
> -Edward Kmett
>
> On Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 4:05 PM, Miguel Mitrofanov <miguelimo38 at yandex.ru 
> > wrote:
>
> On 6 Jan 2010, at 23:21, Edward Kmett wrote:
>
> You probably just want to hold onto weak references for your  
> 'isStillNeeded' checks.
>
> That's what I do now. But I want to minimize the network traffic, so  
> I want referenced values to be garbage collected as soon as possible  
> - and I couldn't find anything except System.Mem.performIO to do the  
> job - which is a bit too global for me.
>
> Otherwise the isStillNeeded check itself will keep you from garbage  
> collecting!
>
> Not necessary. What I'm imagining is that there is essentially only  
> one way to access the value stored in the reference - with readRef.  
> So, if there isn't any chance that readRef would be called, the  
> value can be garbage collected; "isStillNeeded" function only needs  
> the reference, not the value.
>
> Well, yeah, that's kinda like weak references.
>
>
> http://cvs.haskell.org/Hugs/pages/libraries/base/System-Mem-Weak.html
>
> -Edward Kmett
>
> On Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 9:39 AM, Miguel Mitrofanov <miguelimo38 at yandex.ru 
> > wrote:
> I'll take a look at them.
>
> I want something like this:
>
> refMaybe b dflt ref = if b then readRef ref else return dflt
> refIgnore ref = return "blablabla"
> refFst ref =
>  do
>     (v, w) <- readRef ref
>     return v
> test =
>  do
>     a <- newRef "x"
>     b <- newRef 1
>     c <- newRef ('z', Just 0)
>     performLocalGC -- if necessary
>     x <- isStillNeeded a
>     y <- isStillNeeded b
>     z <- isStillNeeded c
>     u <- refMaybe y "t" a -- note that it wouldn't actually read "a",
>                           -- but it won't be known until runtime.
>     w <- refIgnore b
>     v <- refFst c
>     return (x, y, z)
>
> so that "run test" returns (True, False, True).
>
>
> Dan Doel wrote:
> On Wednesday 06 January 2010 8:52:10 am Miguel Mitrofanov wrote:
> Is there any kind of "ST" monad that allows to know if some STRef is  
> no
>  longer needed?
>
> The problem is, I want to send some data to an external storage over a
>  network and get it back later, but I don't want to send unnecessary  
> data.
>
> I've managed to do something like that with weak pointers,
>  System.Mem.performGC and unsafePerformIO, but it seems to me that  
> invoking
>  GC every time is an overkill.
>
> Oh, and I'm ready to trade the purity of runST for that, if necessary.
>
> You may be able to use something like Oleg's Lightweight Monadic  
> Regions to get this effect. I suppose it depends somewhat on what  
> qualifies a reference as "no longer needed".
>
>  http://www.cs.rutgers.edu/~ccshan/capability/region-io.pdf
>
> I'm not aware of anything out-of-the-box that does what you want,  
> though.
>
> -- Dan
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