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cpython/Misc/SpecialBuilds.txt
Victor Stinner 13a00078b8
gh-108634: Py_TRACE_REFS uses a hash table (#108663)
Python built with "configure --with-trace-refs" (tracing references)
is now ABI compatible with Python release build and debug build.
Moreover, it now also supports the Limited API.

Change Py_TRACE_REFS build:

* Remove _PyObject_EXTRA_INIT macro.
* The PyObject structure no longer has two extra members (_ob_prev
  and _ob_next).
* Use a hash table (_Py_hashtable_t) to trace references (all
  objects): PyInterpreterState.object_state.refchain.
* Py_TRACE_REFS build is now ABI compatible with release build and
  debug build.
* Limited C API extensions can now be built with Py_TRACE_REFS:
  xxlimited, xxlimited_35, _testclinic_limited.
* No longer rename PyModule_Create2() and PyModule_FromDefAndSpec2()
  functions to PyModule_Create2TraceRefs() and
  PyModule_FromDefAndSpec2TraceRefs().
* _Py_PrintReferenceAddresses() is now called before
  finalize_interp_delete() which deletes the refchain hash table.
* test_tracemalloc find_trace() now also filters by size to ignore
  the memory allocated by _PyRefchain_Trace().

Test changes for Py_TRACE_REFS:

* Add test.support.Py_TRACE_REFS constant.
* Add test_sys.test_getobjects() to test sys.getobjects() function.
* test_exceptions skips test_recursion_normalizing_with_no_memory()
  and test_memory_error_in_PyErr_PrintEx() if Python is built with
  Py_TRACE_REFS.
* test_repl skips test_no_memory().
* test_capi skisp test_set_nomemory().
2023-08-31 18:33:34 +02:00

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This file describes some special Python build types enabled via compile-time
preprocessor directives.
IMPORTANT: if you want to build a debug-enabled Python, it is recommended that
you use ``./configure --with-pydebug``, rather than the options listed here.
However, if you wish to define some of these options individually, it is best
to define them in the EXTRA_CFLAGS make variable;
``make EXTRA_CFLAGS="-DPy_REF_DEBUG"``.
Py_REF_DEBUG
------------
Turn on aggregate reference counting. This arranges that extern _Py_RefTotal
hold a count of all references, the sum of ob_refcnt across all objects.
Passing ``-X showrefcount`` on the command line causes the interactive
interpreter to print the reference count total as well the number of memory
blocks allocated after each statement:
>>> 23
23
[8288 refs, 14332 blocks]
>>>
Note that if this count increases when you're not storing away new objects,
there's probably a leak. Remember, though, that in interactive mode the special
name "_" holds a reference to the last result displayed!
Py_REF_DEBUG also checks after every decref to verify that the refcount hasn't
gone negative, and causes an immediate fatal error if it has.
Py_DEBUG implies Py_REF_DEBUG.
Special gimmicks:
sys.gettotalrefcount()
Return current total of all refcounts.
Py_TRACE_REFS
-------------
Build option: ``./configure --with-trace-refs``.
Turn on heavy reference debugging. This is major surgery. All live
heap-allocated objects are traced in a hash table. Most built-in type objects
are not in this list, as they're statically allocated.
Special gimmicks:
sys.getobjects(max[, type])
Return list of the (no more than) max most-recently allocated objects, most
recently allocated first in the list, least-recently allocated last in the
list. max=0 means no limit on list length. If an optional type object is
passed, the list is also restricted to objects of that type. The return
list itself, and some temp objects created just to call sys.getobjects(),
are excluded from the return list. Note that the list returned is just
another object, though, so may appear in the return list the next time you
call getobjects(); note that every object in the list is kept alive too,
simply by virtue of being in the list.
envvar PYTHONDUMPREFS
If this envvar exists, Py_FinalizeEx() arranges to print a list of all
still-live heap objects. This is printed twice, in different formats,
before and after Py_FinalizeEx has cleaned up everything it can clean up. The
first output block produces the repr() of each object so is more
informative; however, a lot of stuff destined to die is still alive then.
The second output block is much harder to work with (repr() can't be invoked
anymore -- the interpreter has been torn down too far), but doesn't list any
objects that will die. The tool script combinerefs.py can be run over this
to combine the info from both output blocks. The second output block, and
combinerefs.py, were new in Python 2.3b1.
Py_DEBUG
--------
This is what is generally meant by "a debug build" of Python.
Py_DEBUG implies LLTRACE and Py_REF_DEBUG. In addition, C assert()s are enabled
(via the C way: by not defining NDEBUG), and some routines do additional sanity
checks inside "#ifdef Py_DEBUG" blocks.
LLTRACE
-------
Compile in support for Low Level TRACE-ing of the main interpreter loop.
When this preprocessor symbol is defined, before PyEval_EvalFrame executes a
frame's code it checks the frame's global namespace for a variable
"__lltrace__". If such a variable is found, mounds of information about what
the interpreter is doing are sprayed to stdout, such as every opcode and opcode
argument and values pushed onto and popped off the value stack.
Not useful very often, but very useful when needed.
Py_DEBUG implies LLTRACE.