No, the program heap is different from the heap data structure. In other words, no relation. This question discusses the program heap in detail.
Amit Kumar
2010-03-09 16:39:12
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108answers:
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A:
Thanks for the quick response. Any idea on why it uses the same name then? Just a coincidence or some historical meaning?
John Doe
2010-03-09 16:41:13
@John Doe: These two things use the same name for the same reason your handle ("John Doe") is so common.
S.Lott
2010-03-09 16:44:57
@S.Lott: Point taken :P@Amit Kumar: Great link, thanks!
John Doe
2010-03-09 16:46:36
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There is no relation, but I admit the name can be confusing. The heap in memory is an array that the OS allocates to programs. A heap is implemented by programs for fast lookup.
Chris H
2010-03-09 16:39:28
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A:
Heap is a synonym for what the standard calls the free-store. In contrast to stacks, which is used for function calls, and function-local object storage, heaps grow in the opposite direction (top to bottom) on many implementations (as opposed to stacks -- which grow from bottom to top). Of course, none of these are required by the standard.
The heap data structure, on the other hand is completely different -- it is a specialized tree structure with certain properties.
It is possible some implementations use the heap data structure for free-store management, whence the name may have been derived. (See buddy memory allocation.)
dirkgently
2010-03-09 16:40:17