Memory Allocation Library Functions            bsdmalloc(3MALLOC)

NAME
     bsdmalloc - memory allocator

SYNOPSIS
     cc [ flag ... ] file ... -lbsdmalloc [ library ... ]

     char *malloc(size);
     unsigned size;

     int free( ptr);
     char *ptr;

     char *realloc( ptr, size);
     char *ptr;
     unsigned size;

DESCRIPTION
     These routines provide a general-purpose  memory  allocation
     package.  They maintain a table of free blocks for efficient
     allocation and coalescing of free storage.  When there is no
     suitable  space
      already  free, the allocation routines call sbrk(2) to  get
     more memory from the system. Each of the allocation routines
     returns a pointer  to  space suitably  aligned  for  storage
     of  any  type  of object. Each returns a null pointer if the
     request  cannot  be  completed (see DIAGNOSTICS).

     malloc() returns a pointer  to   a   block   of   at   least
     size bytes, which is appropriately aligned.

     free() releases a previously allocated block.  Its  argument
     is  a  pointer  to a block previously allocated by  malloc()
     or  realloc().

     realloc() changes the size of the block referenced  by   ptr
     to  size  bytes   and   returns   a pointer to the (possibly
     moved) block.  The contents will  be  unchanged  up  to  the
     lesser   of  the  new  and  old sizes.  If unable to honor a
     reallocation request,  realloc() leaves its  first  argument
     unaltered.  For backwards compatibility,   realloc() accepts
     a pointer to a block freed since the most recent   call   to
     malloc() or realloc().

RETURN VALUES
     malloc() and realloc() return a null pointer if there is not
     enough  available  memory.  When realloc() returns NULL, the
     block pointed to by ptr is left intact.

ERRORS
     If malloc() or realloc() returns  unsuccessfully, errno will
     be set to indicate the following:

SunOS 5.8           Last change: 11 Feb 1993                    1

Memory Allocation Library Functions            bsdmalloc(3MALLOC)

     ENOMEM
           size bytes of memory exceeds the  physical  limits  of
           your system, and cannot be allocated.

     EAGAIN
           There is not enough memory available at this point  in
           time  to allocate size bytes of memory; but the appli-
           cation could try again later.

SEE ALSO
     brk(2), malloc(3C), malloc(3MALLOC), mapmalloc(3MALLOC)

WARNINGS
     Use of libbsdmalloc renders an application  non-SCD  compli-
     ant.

     libbsdmalloc routines are incompatible with the memory allo-
     cation   routines   in   the   standard   C-library  (libc):
     malloc(3C), alloca(3C), calloc(3C), free(3C),  memalign(3C),
     realloc(3C), and  valloc(3C).

NOTES
     Using  realloc() with a block freed before the  most  recent
     call to   malloc() or realloc() will result in an error.

     malloc() and  realloc() return a non-NULL pointer  if   size
     is 0. These pointers should not be dereferenced.

     Always cast the value returned by  malloc() and   realloc().

     Comparative features of  bsdmalloc(),  malloc(3MALLOC),  and
     malloc(3C)

        o  The  bsdmalloc() routines afford  better  performance,
           but are space-inefficient.

        o  The malloc(3MALLOC) routines are space-efficient,  but
           have slower performance.

        o  The standard, fully SCD-compliant malloc(3C)  routines
           are   a  trade-off  between   performance  and  space-
           efficiency.

     free() does not set errno.

SunOS 5.8           Last change: 11 Feb 1993                    2