In Twisted Python - Make sure a protocol instance would be completely deallocated

Question

I have a pretty intensive chat socket server written in Twisted Python, I start it using internet.TCPServer with a factory and that factory references to a protocol object that handles all communications with the client.

How should I make sure a protocol instance completely destroys itself once a client has disconnected?

I've got a function named connectionLost that is fired up once a client disconnects and I try stopping all activity right there but I suspect some reactor stuff (like twisted.words instances) keep running for obsolete protocol instances.

What would be the best approach to handle this?

Thanks!

Answer 1

ok, for sorting out this issue I have set a __del__ method in the protocol class and I am now logging protocol instances that have not been garbage collected within 1 minute from the time the client has disconnected.

If anybody has any better solution I'll still be glad to hear about it but so far I have already fixed a few potential memory leaks using this log.

Thanks!