PDF::Writer running out of memory

[Damphyr]

I have a bunch of XML files containing specifications and I want to
create a PDF file with an overview of the description element from those
XML files.
I parse the XML and convert it into a Spec object than I create the PDF
using some attributes.
Now, the following code runs out of memory at about 53 out of 87 of
those specs.
header and footer add a line and a bit of text (it's actually code
adapted from the PDF::Writer Manual Techbook )

def create
#creation time
@time=Time.now.strftime("%d/%m/%Y - %H:%M")
#main title/front page
title
#page header
header
#page footer
footer
@pdf.start_new_page
@pdf.start_page_numbering(@pdf.absolute_right_margin, 36, 6,:right)
specifications.each do |s|
puts "doing #{s.name}"
spec_table(s).render_on(@pdf)
end
return
end

def spec_table spec
table=PDF::SimpleTable.new
table.column_order=["row"]
table.title=spec.title
table.data=[{"row"=>spec.description}]
table.show_headings=false
[email protected]_width
table.header_gap=20
return table
end

Below is the backtrace.
Now before you all scream, I did reuse the SimpleTable object to avoid
instantiating it for every spec. This did not make much difference,
since the script run out of memory at exactly the same place.
Is there a solution to this problem or do I need to work around it?
Is there a workaround that gives me a single PDF at the end?
All I can think about now is breaking the overview doc in several pieces.
Keep in mind that the number of specs is only going to grow in the future.
Cheers,
V.-

-----------
d:/dev/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/transaction-simple-1.3.0/lib/transaction/simple.rb:370:in
`dump': failed to allocate memory (NoMemoryError) from
d:/dev/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/transaction-simple-1.3.0/lib/transaction/simple.rb:370:in
`start_transaction'from
d:/dev/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/transaction-simple-1.3.0/lib/transaction/simple/group.rb:89:in
`start_transaction'from
d:/dev/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/transaction-simple-1.3.0/lib/transaction/simple/group.rb:89:in
`each'from
d:/dev/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/transaction-simple-1.3.0/lib/transaction/simple/group.rb:89:in
`start_transaction' from
d:/dev/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/pdf-writer-1.1.3/lib/pdf/simpletable.rb:497:in
`render_on' from
d:/dev/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/pdf-writer-1.1.3/lib/pdf/simpletable.rb:488:in
`each' from
d:/dev/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/pdf-writer-1.1.3/lib/pdf/simpletable.rb:488:in
`render_on' from
d:/dev/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/pdf-writer-1.1.3/lib/pdf/simpletable.rb:401:in
`loop' from
d:/dev/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/pdf-writer-1.1.3/lib/pdf/simpletable.rb:401:in
`render_on' from ./test.rb:524:in `create' from ./test.rb:522:in `each'
from d:/dev/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.7.0/lib/rake.rb:844:in
`send' from
d:/dev/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/rake-0.7.0/lib/rake.rb:844:in `each'
from ./test.rb:522:in `create' from ./test.rb:493:in `overview' from
overview.rb:72
--
http://www.braveworld.net/riva

____________________________________________________________________
http://www.freemail.gr - äùñåÜí õðçñåóßá çëåêôñïíéêïý ôá÷õäñïìåßïõ.
http://www.freemail.gr - free email service for the Greek-speaking.

 

[Austin Ziegler]

I have a bunch of XML files containing specifications and I want to
create a PDF file with an overview of the description element from
those XML files. I parse the XML and convert it into a Spec object
than I create the PDF using some attributes. Now, the following code
runs out of memory at about 53 out of 87 of those specs. header and
footer add a line and a bit of text (it's actually code adapted from
the PDF::Writer Manual Techbook )

I have had someone else report this and provide me with a customized
SimpleTable that drastically reduces the memory usage but drops
some...recoverability; it does not surprise me that this is happening,
but I have had no time to investigate exactly what can be done. It does
not surprise me that this is happening, and there may be several ways to
solve this.

The problem is best shown with code:

require 'transaction/simple'

class Parent
include Transaction::Simple

attr_accessor :children
def add_children(*children)
children.each { |x|
x.parent =3D self
@children << x
}
end
def initialize
@children =3D []
end
end

class Child
attr_accessor arent
end

def show_ids(parent)
puts <<-EOS
self <#{parent.object_id}> [ #{parent.children.map do |el|
el.parent.object_id end.join(', ') } ]
EOS
end

a =3D Parent.new
a.add_children Child.new ; nil
show_ids(a) # self<24875792> [ 24875792 ]
a.start_transaction ; nil
a.add_children Child.new, Child.new ; nil
show_ids(a) # self<24875792> [ 24875792, 24875792, 24875792 ]
a.rewind_transaction ; nil
a.add_children Child.new, Child.new ; nil
show_ids(a) # self<24875792> [ 24852044, 24875792, 24875792 ]

That last one is the source of the memory leak. It's also the source of
a much more subtle bug in the making it impossible to set certain things
"late" in the process.

-austin