RFR 8220238 : Enhancing j.l.Runtime/System::gc specification with an explicit 'no guarantee' statement

[Roger Riggs]

Hi Aleksey,

The </p> is always optional (in html5).

The issue with the "when control returns" and "best effort" sentence is 
that is implies that something has been done
and that is not necessarily true.  At best, it could say is that the 
implementation may have done something or done nothing
and anything in between.

Suggestions welcome.

Thanks, Roger



On 05/28/2019 02:06 PM, Aleksey Shipilev wrote:
> On 5/28/19 7:58 PM, Roger Riggs wrote:
>> Please review a change to the javadoc of Runtime.gc() and System.gc() to clarify
>> that invoking these methods does not guarantee any specific result or timeliness
>> of completion.
>>
>> The revised text is:
>>
>>        * Runs the garbage collector in the Java Virtual Machine.
>>        *
>>        * Calling this method suggests that the Java Virtual Machine
>>        * expend effort toward recycling unused objects in order to
>>        * make the memory they currently occupy available for reuse
>>        * by the Java Virtual Machine.
>>        * There is no guarantee that this effort will recycle any particular
>>        * number of unused objects, reclaim any particular amount of space,
>>        * or complete at any particular time, if at all.
>>
>> Issue:
>>    https://bugs.openjdk.java.net/browse/JDK-8220238
>>
>> CSR:
>>    https://bugs.openjdk.java.net/browse/JDK-8224760
>>
>> Webrev:
>>    http://cr.openjdk.java.net/~rriggs/webrev-gc-8220238/index.html
> Thank you.
>
> It feels like <p/> is missing between paragraphs?
>
> Also, I don't think it is sensible to drop the blocking behavior ("When control returns...") -- I
> think some programs enjoy that property, and certainly many GCs have special tests to enforce this
> property, even if GC is fully concurrent.
>