DOCUMENT:Q12384 09-JUN-1999 [win16sdk] TITLE :INFO: More Information About Atoms PRODUCT :Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit PROD/VER:WINDOWS:3.1 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS:kb16bitonly kbSDKPlatformkbfaq ====================================================================== 2.x 3.00 3.10 WINDOWS kbprg ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) 3.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY ======= The following are questions on Atoms that expand on the description of Atoms: 1. Q. Is it reasonable to use Atoms to store strings of data? A. Yes, you can store constant strings of data using Atoms. 2. Q. Why is there no Atom for a null string? A. There is no Atom for a null string because none is defined. 3. Q. How are Atoms stored? A. Atoms are hashed with bucket chaining used to resolve collisions. The memory for the Atoms is allocated out of the caller's DS. The overhead per Atom is 9 bytes (4 for the memory arena, 5 for the Atom structure). 4. Q. What is the penalty for declaring many Atoms and then only using a few? A. The only consequences of declaring many Atoms and then only using a few are the consumption of memory and the increased chain of collisions. 5. Q. Are there reasonable limits to the number of strings that can be stored as Atoms? A. The absolute limit to the number of strings that can be stored as Atoms is the size of the caller's data segment. 6. Q. Is there any way to share Atoms between two instances of a program? A. To share Atoms between two instances of a program, have a shared library .EXE file with a single data segment that holds the Atoms to be shared. The Windows user interface code is an example of this. 7. Q. Is there a limit to the number of characters in a string that is being stored as an Atom? A. The limit to the number of characters in a string being stored as an Atom currently is 255. 8. Q. Are Atoms movable? A. Atoms are constants, and therefore are not movable. 9. Q. Do Atoms get swapped? A. Atoms do not get swapped. Additional query words: 2.x 2.00 3.00 3.10 ====================================================================== Keywords : kb16bitonly kbSDKPlatform kbfaq Technology : kbAudDeveloper kbWin3xSearch kbSDKSearch kbWinSDKSearch kbWinSDK310 Version : WINDOWS:3.1 Issue type : kbinfo ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1999.