mixing Ocaml with another GC-ed language

[STARYNKEVITCH Basile <Basile.Starynkevitch@cea.fr>]

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Hello All,

In a few weeks I will perhaps code in Ocaml inside a static code
analyzer tool written in C++ (don't ask me why.. it is a painful
subject [see the thread "convincing management to code in Ocaml" on
this same mailing list, that I started last year]).

It is not really plain C++ because I did code a (precise, mostly
copying, generational) garbage collector which is used in the
project. So Ocaml code will be called from (and will probably upcall
to) C++ code using my GC. So I do know my GC quite well (and studied
Ocaml's GC a bit also). My GC also support finalized objects, which it
does not move (so their address remain fixed).

Does any people have concrete experience mixing Ocaml with another
GC-ed language (e.g. Java or Common Lisp) inside the same program?

I do have my precise ideas on the problem (essentially, avoid mixing
pointers from both worlds, either by copying data or by using my
finalized C++ GCed objects which are not moved by my GC). But I will
be happy to hear from other people's experience. Any pitfalls to avoid
are interesting to hear.

The custom tag object (introduced in Ocaml3, see the Ocaml CVS
webserver) might also be helpful.

Regards

N.B. Any opinions expressed here are only mine, and not of my organization.
N.B. Les opinions exprimees ici me sont personnelles et n engagent pas le CEA.

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Basile STARYNKEVITCH   ----  Commissariat à l Energie Atomique 
DTA/LETI/DEIN/SLA * CEA/Saclay b.528 (p111f) * 91191 GIF/YVETTE CEDEX * France
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email: Basile point Starynkevitch at cea point fr