Re: SHMEM_BASE_ADDRESS

[Paul <paul.corner-at-tesco.net>]

Hi Bill

SHMEM_KEY is nothing more than an identifier for a block of memory - If 
several different programs need to read or write common data, some way of 
accessing a shared block is often easiest. Because this shared memory is 
allocated dynamically, it is impossible to pass the base address around, so a 
kernel function is called with SHMEM_KEY and a real address is returned. A 
bit like a mobile phone number - All you need is the number, you don't care 
where the phone is located (and how many are all zeros ?).

Shared memory blocks can be allocated within a loop incrementing SHMEM_KEY 
each time for every block. When the memory is released, the key can be 
decremented - When it reaches zero, all shared memory has been freed up.


Regards, Paul.



On Tuesday 10 Sep 2002 1:55 am, William Scalione wrote:
> So what exactly is SHMEM_KEY, and if running a TNG version, are you saying
> that it can be set to any integer except zero?