How to avoid running out of memory in high memory usage application? C / C++

Question

I have written a converter that takes openstreetmap xml files and converts them to a binary runtime rendering format that is typically about 10% of the original size. Input file

Answer 1

If you want to be memory-size independent, you need a size-independent algorithm. No matter what size your RAM is, if you don't have memory usage under control, you're going to bump into the border.

Take a look at the least chunk of information you can possibly use to produce a bit of output. Then think of a way to divide the input into chunks of this size.

Now that sounds easy, doesn't it? (Glad I don't have to do it :) )