[MLton-user] Destructive update

[Stephen Weeks]

> I am confused about the use of max-heap.  Shouldn't max-heap simply
> be used (when it is specified) as a replacement for ram-slop *
> physical-ram? 

No.

> Which ever is used, I would expect that to be the maximum that the
> machine would ever ask for.

ram-slop is not for specifying a maximum; it is for specifying how
much RAM is expected to be available before paging occurs.  You may
want the program to run beyond that limit, but to take paging into
account (in the very limited way that MLton does).  max-heap is indeed
for specifying a maximum.  ram-slop and max-heap make sense each on
their own as well as together.