FREEBUF(3PVM)

💖 FREEBUF 💖 (that's the 3PVM manual, bestie — PVM Version 3.4, we stan)

✨ NAME ✨

pvm_freebuf — disposes of a message buffer. yes literally it's the little trash-can icon for your PVM buffers 🗑️✨

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

C:

int info = pvm_freebuf( int bufid )

Fortran:

call pvmffreebuf( bufid, info )

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🎀 PARAMETERS 🎀

• bufid — Integer message buffer identifier. it's the lil name-tag of the buffer you're about to yeet 💅
• info — Integer status code returned by the routine. Values less than zero indicate an error. so if it's negative, something went wrong, no cap 😭

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so pvm_freebuf frees the memory associated with the message buffer identified by bufid. that's it, that's the job. freeing. releasing. letting go, bestie 🫶

Where do message buffers even come from? They're created by pvm_mkbuf, pvm_initsend, and pvm_recv. So those are your three buffer-birth locations, remember them.

If pvm_freebuf is successful, info will be 0. If some error occurs then info will be < 0. simple as that.

You can call pvm_freebuf for a send buffer created by pvm_mkbuf after the message has been sent and is no longer needed. sent = done = free it, periodt 💅

Receive buffers typically do not have to be freed unless they have been saved in the course of using multiple buffers. But pvm_freebuf can be used to destroy receive buffers as well. So messages that arrive but are no longer needed can be destroyed so they will not consume buffer space. it's giving "you don't have to, but you CAN, and sometimes you should" ✨

Typically multiple send and receive buffers are not needed and the user can simply use the pvm_initsend routine to reset the default send buffer. lowkey the default-buffer lifestyle is the chill one 🌈

There are several cases where multiple buffers are useful though. One example where multiple message buffers are needed involves libraries or graphical interfaces that use PVM and interact with a running PVM application but do not want to interfere with the application's own communication. like, respect the app's boundaries, bestie 🙈

When multiple buffers are used they generally are made and freed for each message that is packed. In fact, pvm_initsend simply does a pvm_freebuf followed by a pvm_mkbuf for the default buffer. the way that pvm_initsend is literally just free-then-make, iconic behavior honestly 👑

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🌟 EXAMPLES 🌟

C:

bufid = pvm_mkbuf( PvmDataDefault );
      :
info = pvm_freebuf( bufid );

Fortran:

CALL PVMFMKBUF( PVMDEFAULT, BUFID )
      :
CALL PVMFFREEBUF( BUFID, INFO )

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💀 ERRORS 💀

These error conditions can be returned by pvm_freebuf — keep an eye out, fr fr:

• PvmBadParam — giving an invalid argument value. you handed it something it cannot work with, oops 😭
• PvmNoSuchBuf — giving an invalid bufid value. that buffer does not exist, bestie, it's giving ghost town 👻

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🧚 SEE ALSO 🧚

• pvm_mkbuf(3PVM)
• pvm_initsend(3PVM)
• pvm_recv(3PVM)

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and that's the whole page, babe 💜 that was PVM Version 3.4, dated 30 August, 1993 — yes she's vintage, yes she still slays, we love a retro queen 👑✨ go free those buffers, ily, mwah 🫶🎀