Precompiling C++ for Garbage Collection

Our research is concerned with compiler-independent, efficient and convenient garbage collection for C++. Most collectors proposed for C++ have either been implemented in a library or in a compiler. As an intermediate step between those two, this paper proposes using precompilation techniques to augment a C++ source program with code to allow mostly type-accurate garbage collection. There are two key precompiler transformations. The first is automatic generation of *smart pointer* classes. The precompiler defines the smart pointer classes and the user utilizes them instead of raw pointers. These smart pointers supply functionality that allows the collector to locate the root set for collection. The second transformation augments the C++ program with code that allows the garbage collector to locate internal pointers within objects. This paper describes the precompiler and the garbage collector. The paper includes a brief (1500 word) survey of related techniques.

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