Memory & Performance

One of Pith’s best features is that you never have to manage memory yourself.

In some languages (like C), you have to manually allocate and free memory, which is easy to mess up. In other languages (like Python or Java), a heavy “garbage collector” runs in the background, which can cause sudden stuttering and slowdowns.

Pith gives you the best of both worlds: automatic cleanup with zero stuttering and maximum speed.

How It Works (Without the Jargon)

When you create a variable or join two strings together, Pith saves it in memory. It keeps a small counter on that data called a reference count:

1. When you create or share data, Pith notes that it’s in use.
2. When your code finishes with that data (like exiting an if block, a loop, or a function), Pith frees that memory immediately and automatically.

There is no background collector sweeping through memory, no “stop-the-world” freeze, and no sluggish memory leaks. Everything happens right when your code finishes using it.

Why This Matters for You

1. Perfect for Games & Audio

In game development and audio processing, even a 10-millisecond pause can ruin the experience. Because Pith cleans up data continuously in real time, your animations and sounds stay buttery smooth.

2. Tiny Memory Footprint

Pith programs only use the exact amount of memory they need at any given moment. They don’t require hundreds of megabytes of RAM just to start up.

3. Native Machine Code

When you run pith build, Pith produces a real binary tailored to your processor. It doesn’t run inside an emulated virtual machine; it runs directly on the metal for top-tier speed.

Sized Types & Saving Space

If you are working with large sets of numbers (like image pixels, sound waves, or 3D coordinates), you can tell Pith the exact size of your variables:

# Use u8 (0 to 255) for RGB color channels to use only 1 byte per value:
mut red: u8 = 255
mut green: u8 = 120
mut blue: u8 = 0

By choosing the right size, you can make your programs use a fraction of the memory of other scripting languages while running even faster.

Summary

You don’t need to be a systems engineer to build high-performance software. With Pith:

• You never write malloc or free
• You never experience garbage collector pauses
• Your programs start instantly and run at native speed