Datum Usage

ID:1446483
 
Dec 16 2013, 2:49 pm
(See the best response by LordAndrew.)
Suppose I have a variable datum for something but I instantiate a new datum and set a variable to this new datum. Does the old datum sit in memory or does it get collected with the garbage? Something like this

mob
  var
    Datum = new(params)

  verb
    ChangeVar()
      var/Datum/D = new(new_params)
      src.Datum = D
      return
Dec 16 2013, 3:35 pm
Best response
Since the first datum no longer has anything referencing it, the garbage collector takes it away to the data furnaces.
Dec 17 2013, 2:06 am
In response to LordAndrew
LordAndrew wrote:
Since the first datum no longer has anything referencing it, the garbage collector takes it away to the data furnaces.

I lost it at data furnaces.

Moreover, LA is right. You are going to want to avoid excess initialization of datums if you can, though. Initialization has a certain burden of overhead while the VM sets up, registers, and stores the datum.

Optimally, you will want to actually change the datum's values if possible, rather than creating a new one and getting rid of the old one. It's just cleaner.