[Rd] Memory loss in RODBC when reading DateTime values (no problem with integers)

[Dieter Menne]

This issue might be related to a similar one in

http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.lang.r.devel/11452

** Memory is not reclaimed when reading DateTime values, but works Ok when
with integers. 

There is no memory loss when opening/closing of connection is done outside
of the loop. However, opening itself cannot be the problem, since integers
can be read without loss.

I am aware that this is likely a Windows issue, not an R-problem, but
reporting it may help others to track down more complex cases.

Dieter


# assumes a table db.mdb with ANumber (integer) and ADate(DateTime) exists
library(RODBC)
db = "db.mdb"

# Generate Data
tab =  data.frame(ANumber=1:1000)
tab$ADate= Sys.Date()
channel = odbcConnectAccess(db)
sqlQuery(channel, "DELETE * from tab")
sqlSave(channel,tab,rownames=FALSE,append=TRUE)
odbcClose(channel)
# end of data generation

for (i in 1:1000) {
  channel = odbcConnectAccess(db)
  # When reading a number, memory nicely zig-zags within safe gc limits 
#  ret =   sqlQuery(channel, "SELECT ANumber from tab") 
  # Memory is lost
  ret =   sqlQuery(channel, "SELECT ADate from tab")
  odbcClose(channel)
  cat(i,nrow(ret),memory.size(),"\n")
}
# end of example


Package: RODBC
Version: 1.2-2
Date: 2007-10-19

System: Vista Ultimate, German

$platform
[1] "i386-pc-mingw32"

$arch
[1] "i386"

$os
[1] "mingw32"

$system
[1] "i386, mingw32"

$status
[1] ""

$major
[1] "2"

$minor
[1] "6.1"

$year
[1] "2007"

$month
[1] "11"

$day
[1] "26"

$`svn rev`
[1] "43537"

$language
[1] "R"

$version.string
[1] "R version 2.6.1 (2007-11-26)"

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