Memory segmentation: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 09:12, 9 November 2020

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'''Memory segmentation''' is a computer ([[Primary memory|primary]]) [[memory management]] technique of division of a [[computer]]'s primary memory into '''segments''' or '''sections'''. In a [[Computer architecture|computer system]] using segmentation, a reference to a memory ___location includes a value that identifies a segment and an [[offset (computer science)|offset]] (memory ___location) within that segment. Segments or sections are also used in [[object file]]s of compiled programs when they are [[Linker (computing)|linked]] together into a [[program image]] and when the image is [[Loader (computing)|loaded]] into memory.

Segments usually correspond to natural divisions of a program such as individual routines or data tables<ref name="holt1961"/> so segmentation is generally more visible to the programmer than [[Paging|paging]] alone.<ref name="englander"/>

Different segments may be created for different program [[module (programming)|module]]s, or for different classes of memory usage such as [[Code segment|code]] and [[data segment]]s.<ref name="glaser1965"/> Certain segments may be shared between programs.<ref name="holt1961"/><ref name="englander" />