465809 - Mochitest should have some easy way to call garbage/cycle collector

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Testing :: Mochitest, defect)

Description

[Olli Pettay [:smaug][[e-mail]]]

We have something like   netscape.security.PrivilegeManager.enablePrivilege("UniversalXPConnect");
  window.QueryInterface(Components.interfaces.nsIInterfaceRequestor)
        .getInterface(Components.interfaces.nsIDOMWindowUtils)
        .garbageCollect();
in many mochitests. Would be nice to have that as a helper method, so
that tests could just call SimpleTest.gc() or similar.

Comment 1

[Martijn Wargers (dead)]

What's wrong with that? I find that actually easier to use than SimpleTest.gc(), which could mean anything.

Comment 2

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

> What's wrong with that?

It's impossible to remember, so takes longer to write tests.

I'm happy to have SimpleTest.garbageCollect() if gc() is seen as too obscure, I guess.  But having to remember the QI/GetI mess is just not called for.  And "GC" is the usual term for garbage collection..

Comment 3

[Martijn Wargers (dead)]

Sorry, gc() is fine by me, I might remember this function when I need it. I guess I was more 'complaining' about synthesizeKey as I never could remember the arguments it needs (in which case I just would use the relevant xpcom fuctions).

Comment 4

[Andrew Halberstadt [:ahal]]

Mass closing mochitest bugs that haven't had activity in the past 5 years. Please re-open or file a new bug with modern context if this is still relevant.

Comment 5

[Boris Zbarsky [:bzbarsky]]

Nowadays test do SpecialPowers.DOMWindowUtils.garbageCollect(). Not awesome, but better than what we used to have.