Keith Barr wrote:
>     str = "0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789
> 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 0123456789 "
>     @huge_mem = Array.new(1000000, str)

That's an array of 1000000 references to the same string. Did you want 
lots of strings? This is the way to do that:

Array.new(1000000) {str}

------------------------------------------------------------- Array::new
      Array.new(size=0, obj=nil)
      Array.new(array)
      Array.new(size) {|index| block }
------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Returns a new array. In the first form, the new array is empty. In
      the second it is created with _size_ copies of _obj_ (that is,
      _size_ references to the same _obj_).

-- 
       vjoel : Joel VanderWerf : path berkeley edu : 510 665 3407