PyCon 2016 in Portland, Or
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Monday 3:15 p.m.–3:45 p.m.

Memory Management in Python - The Basics

Nina Zakharenko

Audience level:
Novice
Category:
Python Internals

Description

As a new python developer, do you find memory management in Python confusing? Come to this talk to learn about the basics of how Memory Management works in Python. We'll cover the concepts of reference counting, garbage collection, weak references, __slots__, and the Global Interpreter Lock.

Abstract

As a new Python developer, trying to understand how memory management works in python can feel like a daunting task. The documentation immediately jumps into difficult to follow concepts, especially if you don't have a background in Computer Science. I'd like to provide a simple, easy to follow overview of the concepts that a developer needs to be familiar with in order to scratch the surface of how memory management and garbage collection works in Python.