Subj : Re: GC question
To   : Sterling Bates
From : Brendan Eich
Date : Wed Jun 02 2004 10:57 pm

Sterling Bates wrote:

> If I understand GCing correctly, it does not attempt to free objects 
> that are tied to a scope (ie another object).

Only if that other object is rooted, or connected via one or more 
properties in a reference path from a root.

The garbage collector marks using depth first search on the graph of 
live GC-things, starting from the root set.  The root set consists of 
roots by definition (e.g., cx->globalObject for all JSContext *cx in the 
runtime being GC'd), atom keys, and user-managed roots (registered by 
their address using JS_Add{,Named}Root).  So unless the object whose 
root was removed was referenced by a property in a live object, or by 
another root, it should be GC'd after the JS_RemoveRoot -- provided the 
embedding runs the GC.

/be

.