Ruby Server #eliminate garbage build up

Question

I have a working TCP/IP socket server that loads 3-flash files in succession. How can I unload previous files and eliminate the garbage build up?

2-Flash clients are active, 1-the loader, 2-the next Flash file being loaded, however "the Flash files don't unload." Maybe there's a "put - kill" method or something similar to addChild removeChild in as3. Any resource would help, since I'm not very familiar with Ruby.

Files involved

1. POLICY SERVER "server lets Flash files play"
   policyserver_little.rb

2. RUBY TCP/IP SOCKET SERVER "server plays loader, that loads 3-Flash files"
   server_little#.rb

3. FLASH LOADER "client"
   loader_little.swf

4. FLASH MOVIES "numbers_odom.swf, numbers_fruits.swf, $mil.swf"
   "msg1, msg2, msg3"

WHAT I SEE
def worker==>end
There's no method to unload.

RUBY SERVER server_little#.rb

require 'socket'
require 'rexml/document'
include Socket::Constants

def create_xml_msg(msg, parent)
    el = nil
    msg.each do |key, value|
     if parent
   el = parent.add_element(key)
  else
   el = REXML::Element.new(key)
  end
  if value.instance_of?(Hash)
   create_xml_msg(value, el)
  else
   el.text = value.to_s
  end
 end
 return el
end

def worker(client, client_sockaddr, worker_number)
 $tid << Thread.new([client, client_sockaddr, worker_number]) do |cl|
  Thread.current[:number] = cl[2]
        puts("\nThread #{cl[2]} servicing #{Socket.unpack_sockaddr_in(cl[1]).join(':')}")
 #2
  seq_no = cl[2] * 10000000
  loop do
   begin

    msg1 = {"msg" => {"head" => {"type"  => "frctl", "seq_no" => seq_no, "version" => 1.0},
         "body" => {"file" => "numbers_odom.swf", "start" => 5, 
           "end" => 3000, "rate" => 40, "duration" => 60}}}
    msg2 = {"msg" => {"head" => {"type"  => "frctl", "seq_no" => seq_no, "version" => 1.0},
         "body" => {"file" => "numbers_fruits.swf", "start" => 5, "end" => 3000, "rate" => 40, "duration" => 60}}}
    msg3 = {"msg" => {"head" => {"type"  => "frctl", "seq_no" => seq_no, "version" => 1.0},
         "body" => {"file" => "$mil.swf", "start" => 5, 
           "end" => 3000, "rate" => 40, "duration" => 60}}}     

    [ msg1, msg2, msg3 ].each do |m|
     seq_no += 1
     m["msg"]["head"]["seq_no"] = seq_no
     xml_msg = create_xml_msg(m, nil)
     xml_msg.write(cl[0], 0)
     cl[0].putc 0
     sleep 10
    end
   rescue
    cl[0].close
    puts "\nThread #{Thread.current[:number]} exiting..."
    Thread.exit
   end
  end
 end
end

$tid = []  # array of active worker thread ids
$wno = []  # array of active worker numbers
$worker_count = 0
$max_workers = 3
$wlist = Array(1..$max_workers) #array of all possible worker numbers

socket = Socket.new( AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0 )
sockaddr = Socket.pack_sockaddr_in( 1999, '0.0.0.0' )
begin
 socket.bind( sockaddr )
 socket.listen( 5 )
rescue
 print $!.class, " ", $!
 sleep 3
 retry
end 

loop do
 begin
  $tid.each do |t|
   if (t.status == false || t.status == "aborting" )
    t.join
    $wno.delete(t[:number])
    $tid.delete(t)
    $worker_count -= 1
    puts("\nWorker count #{$worker_count}")
   end
  end
  client, client_sockaddr = socket.accept_nonblock
  if (client)
   if ($worker_count >= $max_workers)
    puts "\n too many clients...\n"
    client.puts("<msg>error: too many clients; closing connection...</msg>")
    client.close
   else
    $worker_count += 1
    $wlist.each do |w| #find a hole in worker number list
     if (!$wno.include?(w))
      $wno << w  #add new worker number to the active worker num array
      worker(client, client_sockaddr, w)
      break
     end
    end
    puts("\nWorker count #{$worker_count}")
   end
  end

 rescue Errno::EAGAIN, Errno::ECONNABORTED, Errno::EINTR, Errno::EWOULDBLOCK
  IO.select([socket], nil, nil, 1)
  retry
 end
end

REFERENCE
Ruby version 186-25
http://rubylearning.com/satishtalim/ruby_threads.html

Answer 1

A very good resource for socket programming in ruby: Ruby Sockets: IBM

It was tough for me to get a feel for your code by reading through it, so I can't give you a direct answer. However I can tell you that if you want a good resource for sockets in ruby that pdf is it.

Answer 2

In general i think the only way to eliminate garbage is to fork off a process, let it do the garbage-y stuff then die. If that's your question. NB that jruby, macruby, and rubinius have more advanced GC's. -r