FixedBufferAllocator.reset

[Tetralux]

No description provided.

[andrewrk]

Do we need a reset() function? end_index is considered to be a public field, and it's pretty simple concept to set it to zero. FixedBufferAllocator is a lightweight abstraction. I don't think "encapsulation" is valuable here.

[Tetralux]

@andrewrk

Do we need a reset() function? end_index is considered to be a public field, and it's pretty simple concept to set it to zero. FixedBufferAllocator is a lightweight abstraction. I don't think "encapsulation" is valuable here.

It's a public field? Why is it not marked pub then?

If the field is in fact public, despite not being pub, then that needs making much more clear, and warrants explanation, at least in the docs of pub.

I don't really get what you mean about encapsulation here. I'm just making clear that you are able to reset this kind of allocator, where before most people would have assumed that you cannot; especially since the field is non-pub; you don't want to rely on implementation details; if the name of field is changed then it breaks. It makes it more maintainable to have a simple reset procedure for it.

One use of this off the top of my head:

var buf: [1024]u8 = undefined;
var fba = std.heap.FixedBufferAllocator.init(buf[0..]);
var a = &fba.allocator;
while (true) : (fba.reset()) {
    // do some work, use the result, and throw it all away at the end by resetting.
}

[andrewrk]

It's a public field? Why is it not marked pub then?

Fair question. pub for fields is having a bit of an existential crisis at the moment. At this point I'm more likely to remove that syntax than make it do anything.

I'm fine with a reset() function, at least for now.

[Tetralux]

Cheers!