Memory Model Overview

Three Allocation Modes

Nitpick provides explicit control over memory allocation:

Stack Allocation (Default)

int32:x = 42;           // stack-allocated (default)
stack int32:y = 99;      // explicit stack keyword

Stack variables are freed when their scope exits. This is the fastest allocation mode.

Note: stack and gc are contextual keywords — they can be used as variable names outside allocation contexts.

GC Allocation

string:data = "hello";     // no wild/stack prefix = GC-managed

GC-allocated values are tracked by the garbage collector and freed when no longer referenced. This is implicit — absence of wild or stack means GC mode.

Wild (Unmanaged)

wild int32:raw_val = 42;
wild int8->:buf = alloc(1024);

No automatic cleanup. Combine with defer for manual resource management.

Choosing a Mode

• Default to stack — fast, safe, no overhead
• Use GC when data must outlive its creating scope or be shared
• Use wild only for FFI, OS interaction, or performance-critical paths
• Never use wild without defer unless you have a specific reason

Related

• stack.md — stack allocation details
• gc.md — garbage collector
• wild.md — unmanaged memory
• handle.md — Handle safe arena pointers
• borrow.md — borrow semantics