[gclist] Fragmentation terminology

[Marc Shapiro]

 || From: Nick Barnes <nickb@harlequin.co.uk>
 || Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 16:27:30 +0100
 || Subject: [gclist] Fragmentation terminology
 || 
 || Fragmentation is when an allocator cannot satisfy a request [without
 || going to the OS for more memory] despite there being sufficient unused
 || space.

Picking nits (since you are discussing terminology): in OS circles, we call
fragmentation the fact that there are unused/unusable holes in the memory
allocation.  So there are degrees of fragmentation; e.g. it makes sense to say
"a bit of fragmentation doesn't hurt", "this disk is severely fragmented".
Under your definition these sentences would not make sense.

                                        Marc