Perhandle

Perhandle is a software engineering term describing a resource management pattern in which each resource is accessed via a unique handle. The handle is an opaque identifier produced by a resource manager and mapped to the resource internally, keeping external code decoupled from direct resource references.

In this pattern, APIs accept handles as parameters and the manager validates and translates them to concrete resources. When resources are released, their handles become invalid. This supports multi-context environments by centralizing lifecycle control and can enable safer destruction and access control.

Perhandle is discussed in operating systems, graphics APIs, and database interfaces, where resources like files, buffers, textures, or connections are represented by handles rather than direct pointers. It can aid portability, security, and accounting, and often enables features such as reference counting or lazy allocation.

Advantages include isolation, clearer ownership and lifecycle, and easier persistence or inter-process sharing. Disadvantages include the overhead of maintaining a handle table, potential performance costs, and the risk of invalid handles or fragmentation in long-running systems.

The term is informal and describes a common design pattern rather than a formal standard. Related concepts include handles, descriptors, and capability-based security.