[MI400] Porting libgc to the AS/400

["Ted Slate" <tslateone@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

If you plan to use it as part of a C program then maybe but you'll probably 
have to use all IBM ILE-C. It's pretty much a closed book on the 
/400(internals and ILE-C). I assume you mean a resident C program running as 
a user job on the /400 and not a PC/C program accessing the /400.

> From what I can gather on the libgc page, it tries to do a better job of 
re-allocating memory then malloc.  There are way too many hurdles and most 
of the MI knowledge is generally about structures, use of the documented MI 
language and some processes.  But creating another malloc that re-allocates 
memory on the /400 is better left to IBM. That's unfortunate but there's 
just no reliable published documentation that would help you.  A great 
exercise but if your serious would end in frustration.  The internals 
knowledge required is too great.  You can already dynamically re-allocate 
memory in MI as well as C, so I'm not sure what benefit the another gc is 
other than maybe a better algorithm but it might not necessarily perform 
better on the /400.

For example, you would have to have internals knowledge of the ILE-C or C 
heap storage and re-allocation algorithms, storage structures, etc. to even 
begin determining if it's worth it. You'd have to hack every bit of that 
information. Easily a full-time 1-3 month effort solo.  But that's just my 
opinion, you may find it worth the effort, but it would be all for your 
benefit, since no one in the /400 world would use/trust it anyway.  Sorry!

Although, if you like a challenge, write another SQL engine for the 
/400(Oracle please help!).

:))

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