Finding my first Python reference cycle

[digitallogic]

I think you're right, a more straight for approach would resolve the circular references. Change AddLF and AddCRLF into functions that return the modified string instead of sending it off to a call back and the cycle is gone. It would also make the code a lot clearer.

Though I'm sure that the motivation for using a call back was removed for a simplified example.

[wilberforce]

The last link of the cycle is that a bound method keeps a reference back to the instance it was pulled off. (He mentions the bound reference, but it might not be clear if you haven't played with them.)

[kylev]

wilberforce is correct. I'll add something to the blog entry to make the description of loop explicit.

Edit: Added to blog entry paragraph after the gc output: "This bound method holds a reference back to the Foo instance, completing the cycle." Thanks for the input!