hakmem/docs/archive/LARGE_FILES_QUICK_REFERENCE.md

Quick Reference: Large Files Summary

HAKMEM Memory Allocator (2025-11-06)

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TL;DR - The Problem

5 files with 1000+ lines = 28% of codebase in monolithic chunks:

File	Lines	Problem	Priority
hakmem_pool.c	2,592	65 functions, 40 lines avg	CRITICAL
hakmem_tiny.c	1,765	35 includes, poor cohesion	CRITICAL
hakmem.c	1,745	38 includes, dispatcher + config mixed	HIGH
hakmem_tiny_free.inc	1,711	10 functions, 171 lines avg (!)	CRITICAL
hakmem_l25_pool.c	1,195	Code duplication with MidPool	HIGH

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TL;DR - The Solution

Split into ~20 smaller, focused modules (all <800 lines):

Phase 1: Tiny Free Path (CRITICAL)

Split 1,711-line monolithic file into 4 modules:

• tiny_free_dispatch.inc - Route selection (300 lines)
• tiny_free_local.inc - TLS-owned blocks (500 lines)
• tiny_free_remote.inc - Cross-thread frees (500 lines)
• tiny_free_superslab.inc - SuperSlab adoption (400 lines)

Benefit: Reduce avg function from 171→50 lines, enable unit testing

Phase 2: Pool Manager (CRITICAL)

Split 2,592-line monolithic file into 4 modules:

• mid_pool_core.c - Public API (200 lines)
• mid_pool_cache.c - TLS + registry (600 lines)
• mid_pool_alloc.c - Allocation path (800 lines)
• mid_pool_free.c - Free path (600 lines)

Benefit: Can test alloc/free independently, faster compilation

Phase 3: Tiny Core (CRITICAL)

Reduce 1,765-line file (35 includes!) into:

• hakmem_tiny_core.c - Dispatcher (350 lines)
• hakmem_tiny_alloc.c - Allocation cascade (400 lines)
• hakmem_tiny_lifecycle.c - Lifecycle ops (200 lines)
• (Free path handled in Phase 1)

Benefit: Compilation overhead -30%, includes 35→8

Phase 4: Main Dispatcher (HIGH)

Split 1,745-line file + 38 includes into:

• hakmem_api.c - malloc/free wrappers (400 lines)
• hakmem_dispatch.c - Size routing (300 lines)
• hakmem_init.c - Initialization (200 lines)
• (Keep: hakmem_config.c, hakmem_stats.c)

Benefit: Clear separation, easier to understand

Phase 5: Pool Core Library (HIGH)

Extract shared code (ring, shard, stats):

• pool_core_ring.c - Generic ring buffer (200 lines)
• pool_core_shard.c - Generic shard management (250 lines)
• pool_core_stats.c - Generic statistics (150 lines)

Benefit: Eliminate duplication, fix bugs once

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IMPACT SUMMARY

Code Quality

• Max file size: 2,592 → 800 lines (-69%)
• Avg function size: 40-171 → 25-35 lines (-60%)
• Cyclomatic complexity: -40%
• Maintainability: 4/10 → 8/10

Development Speed

• Finding bugs: 3x faster (smaller files)
• Adding features: 2x faster (modular design)
• Code review: 6x faster (400 line reviews)
• Compilation: 2.5x faster (smaller TUs)

Time Estimate

• Phase 1 (Tiny Free): 3 days
• Phase 2 (Pool): 4 days
• Phase 3 (Tiny Core): 3 days
• Phase 4 (Dispatcher): 2 days
• Phase 5 (Pool Core): 2 days
• Total: ~2 weeks (or 1 week with 2 developers)

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FILE ORGANIZATION AFTER REFACTORING

Tier 1: API Layer

hakmem_api.c (400)           # malloc/free wrappers
└─ includes: hakmem.h, hakmem_config.h

Tier 2: Dispatch Layer

hakmem_dispatch.c (300)      # Size-based routing
└─ includes: hakmem.h

hakmem_init.c (200)          # Initialization
└─ includes: all allocators

Tier 3: Core Allocators

tiny_core.c (350)            # Tiny dispatcher
├─ tiny_alloc.c (400)        # Allocation logic
├─ tiny_lifecycle.c (200)    # Trim, flush, stats
├─ tiny_free_dispatch.inc    # Free routing
├─ tiny_free_local.inc       # TLS free
├─ tiny_free_remote.inc      # Cross-thread free
└─ tiny_free_superslab.inc   # SuperSlab free

pool_core.c (200)            # Pool dispatcher
├─ pool_alloc.c (800)        # Allocation logic
├─ pool_free.c (600)         # Free logic
└─ pool_cache.c (600)        # Cache management

l25_pool.c (400)             # Large pool (unchanged mostly)

Tier 4: Shared Utilities

pool_core/
├─ pool_core_ring.c (200)    # Generic ring buffer
├─ pool_core_shard.c (250)   # Generic shard management
└─ pool_core_stats.c (150)   # Generic statistics

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QUICK START: Phase 1 Checklist

• Create feature branch: git checkout -b refactor-tiny-free
• Create tiny_free_dispatch.inc (extract dispatcher logic)
• Create tiny_free_local.inc (extract local free path)
• Create tiny_free_remote.inc (extract remote free path)
• Create tiny_free_superslab.inc (extract superslab path)
• Update hakmem_tiny.c: Replace 1 #include with 4 #includes
• Verify: make clean && make
• Benchmark: ./larson_hakmem 2 8 128 1024 1 12345 4
• Compare: Score should be same or better (+1%)
• Review & merge

Estimated time: 3 days for 1 developer, 1.5 days for 2 developers

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KEY METRICS TO TRACK

Before (Baseline)

# Code metrics
find core -name "*.c" -o -name "*.h" -o -name "*.inc*" | xargs wc -l | tail -1
# → 32,175 total

# Large files
find core -name "*.c" -o -name "*.h" -o -name "*.inc*" | xargs wc -l | awk '$1 >= 1000 {print}'
# → 5 files, 9,008 lines

# Compilation time
time make clean && make
# → ~20 seconds

# Larson benchmark
./larson_hakmem 2 8 128 1024 1 12345 4
# → baseline score (e.g., 4.19M ops/s)

After (Target)

# Code metrics
find core -name "*.c" -o -name "*.h" -o -name "*.inc*" | xargs wc -l | tail -1
# → ~32,000 total (mostly same, just reorganized)

# Large files
find core -name "*.c" -o -name "*.h" -o -name "*.inc*" | xargs wc -l | awk '$1 >= 1000 {print}'
# → 0 files (all <1000 lines!)

# Compilation time
time make clean && make
# → ~8 seconds (60% improvement)

# Larson benchmark
./larson_hakmem 2 8 128 1024 1 12345 4
# → same score ±1% (no regression!)

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COMMON CONCERNS

Q: Won't more files slow down development?

A: No, because:

• Compilation is 2.5x faster (smaller compilation units)
• Changes are more localized (smaller files = fewer merge conflicts)
• Testing is easier (can test individual modules)

Q: Will this break anything?

A: No, because:

• Public APIs stay the same (hak_tiny_alloc, hak_pool_free, etc)
• Implementation details are internal (refactoring only)
• Full regression testing (Larson, memory, etc) before merge

Q: How much refactoring effort?

A: ~2 weeks (full team) or ~1 week (2 developers working in parallel)

• Phase 1: 3 days (1 developer)
• Phase 2: 4 days (can overlap with Phase 1)
• Phase 3: 3 days (can overlap with Phases 1-2)
• Phase 4: 2 days
• Phase 5: 2 days (final polish)

Q: What if we encounter bugs?

A: Rollback is simple:

git revert <commit>
# Or if using feature branches:
git checkout master
git branch -D refactor-phase1  # Delete failed branch

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SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

1. LARGE_FILES_ANALYSIS.md (main report)

   • 500+ lines of detailed analysis per file
   • Responsibility breakdown
   • Refactoring recommendations with rationale

2. LARGE_FILES_REFACTORING_PLAN.md (implementation guide)

   • Week-by-week breakdown
   • Deliverables for each phase
   • Build integration details
   • Risk mitigation strategies

3. This document (quick reference)

   • TL;DR summary
   • Quick start checklist
   • Metrics tracking

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NEXT STEPS

Today: Review this summary and LARGE_FILES_ANALYSIS.md

Tomorrow: Schedule refactoring kickoff meeting

• Discuss Phase 1 (Tiny Free) details
• Assign owners (1-2 developers)
• Create feature branch

Day 3-5: Execute Phase 1

• Split tiny_free.inc into 4 modules
• Test thoroughly (Larson + regression)
• Review and merge

Day 6+: Continue with Phase 2-5 as planned

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Generated: 2025-11-06 Status: Analysis complete, ready for implementation