Truncate semantic pointer names to 1 KB

CHANGES.rst

@@ -42,6 +42,10 @@ Release History
 - ``SemanticPointer.translate`` and ``PointerSymbol.translate`` now use the ``keys``
   argument; previously, this argument was mistakenly ignored.
   (`#248 <https://github.com/nengo/nengo_spa/pull/248>`__)
+- Fixed an issue where the names of iteratively generated semantic pointers
+  could grow exponentially in length, by truncating them at 1 KB.
+  (`#244 <https://github.com/nengo/nengo_spa/issues/244>`__,
+  `#246 <https://github.com/nengo/nengo_spa/pull/246>`__)
 
 
 1.0.1 (December 14, 2019)

LICENSE.rst

@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ Licensed code
 Nengo SPA imports several open source libraries.
 
 * `NumPy <http://www.numpy.org/>`_ - Used under
-  `BSD license <http://www.numpy.org/license.html>`__
+  `BSD license <http://www.numpy.org/doc/stable/license.html>`__
 * `Sphinx <http://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master>`_ - Used under
   `BSD license <https://bitbucket.org/birkenfeld/sphinx/src/be5bd373a1a47fb68d70523b6e980e654e070e9f/LICENSE?at=default>`__
 * `nbsphinx <https://github.com/spatialaudio/nbsphinx>`_ - Used under

docs/user-guide/spa-intro.rst

@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ example of an SPA to date.
    nonlinear dynamical arm model). Central information manipulation depends on
    syntaictic structure for several tasks. Control is largely captured by the
    basal ganglia aciton selection elements. Memory and learning take place in
-   both basal ganglia and contex. The model itself consists of just under
+   both basal ganglia and cortex. The model itself consists of just under
    a million spiking neurons.
 
 Let us consider how the model would perform a single run of one of the cognitive

nengo_spa/semantic_pointer.py

@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ class SemanticPointer(Fixed):
         Name of the Semantic Pointer.
     """
 
+    MAX_NAME = 1024
+
     def __init__(self, data, vocab=None, algebra=None, name=None):
         super(SemanticPointer, self).__init__(
             TAnyVocab if vocab is None else TVocabulary(vocab)
@@ -54,6 +56,9 @@ def __init__(self, data, vocab=None, algebra=None, name=None):
         self.v.setflags(write=False)
 
         self.vocab = vocab
+
+        if name is not None and len(name) > self.MAX_NAME:
+            name = "%s..." % (name[: self.MAX_NAME - 3])
         self.name = name
 
     def _get_algebra(cls, vocab, algebra):

nengo_spa/tests/test_semantic_pointer.py

@@ -324,6 +324,12 @@ def test_name():
     assert (a + unnamed).name is None
     assert (a * unnamed).name is None
 
+    # check that names that blow up exponentially in length are truncated
+    for i in range(10):
+        a += a * b
+    assert len(a.name) == a.MAX_NAME
+    assert a.name.endswith("...")
+
 
 def test_translate(rng):
     v1 = spa.Vocabulary(16, pointer_gen=rng)