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Hello,<br>
<br>
In clientlibs, there's occasionally a need to verify an object isn't
leaked. For this purpose, WeakReference or PhantomReference is used.<br>
<br>
Then, we need to make the reference object be cleared, so a GC cycle
need to be triggered. The common approach is generating
OutOfMemoryError, catching it and verifying whether the reference is
cleared.<br>
<br>
Some tests use a utility method regtesthelpers/Util.<span class="pl-en">generateOOME [1].</span><br>
<br>
For example, these tests follow the above approach:<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://github.com/openjdk/jdk/blob/master/test/jdk/javax/swing/border/TestTitledBorderLeak.java">https://github.com/openjdk/jdk/blob/master/test/jdk/javax/swing/border/TestTitledBorderLeak.java</a><br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://github.com/openjdk/jdk/blob/master/test/jdk/java/awt/List/ListGarbageCollectionTest/AwtListGarbageCollectionTest.java">https://github.com/openjdk/jdk/blob/master/test/jdk/java/awt/List/ListGarbageCollectionTest/AwtListGarbageCollectionTest.java</a><br>
<br>
<br>
The AwtListGarbageCollectionTest.java test started to fail pretty
often in the end of January 2023.<br>
<br>
I followed a piece of advice provided in a JBS comment for
JDK-8300727 [2] and replaced generating OOME with a simple call to
System.gc() along with adding a loop for re-trying.<br>
<br>
The specification for System.gc() [3] mentions that this call can be
ignored, which started a discussion in the PR #12594 [4] that
System.gc() should not be used, at the very least without generating
OOME in addition to invoking System.gc().<br>
<br>
At the same time, many tests for Reference objects, such as
ReferenceEnqueue.java [5] and PhantomReferentClearing.java [6], rely
solely on System.gc.<br>
<br>
<br>
What would be your recommendation? Are there best practices in
core-libs and hotspot for testing for memory leaks that clientlibs
should follow?<br>
<br>
<br>
-- <br>
Regards,<br>
Alexey<br>
<br>
[1]
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://github.com/openjdk/jdk/blob/29ee7c3b70ded8cd124ca5b4a38a2aee7c39068b/test/jdk/javax/swing/regtesthelpers/Util.java#L87">https://github.com/openjdk/jdk/blob/29ee7c3b70ded8cd124ca5b4a38a2aee7c39068b/test/jdk/javax/swing/regtesthelpers/Util.java#L87</a><br>
[2] <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://bugs.openjdk.org/browse/JDK-8300727">https://bugs.openjdk.org/browse/JDK-8300727</a><br>
[3]
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/17/docs/api/java.base/java/lang/System.html#gc()">https://docs.oracle.com/en/java/javase/17/docs/api/java.base/java/lang/System.html#gc()</a><br>
[4] <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://github.com/openjdk/jdk/pull/12594">https://github.com/openjdk/jdk/pull/12594</a><br>
[5]
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://github.com/openjdk/jdk/blob/f612dcfebea7ffd4390f833646ad45d6f0ebd04f/test/jdk/java/lang/ref/ReferenceEnqueue.java#L54-L60">https://github.com/openjdk/jdk/blob/f612dcfebea7ffd4390f833646ad45d6f0ebd04f/test/jdk/java/lang/ref/ReferenceEnqueue.java#L54-L60</a><br>
[6]
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://github.com/openjdk/jdk/blob/f612dcfebea7ffd4390f833646ad45d6f0ebd04f/test/jdk/java/lang/ref/PhantomReferentClearing.java#L85-L92">https://github.com/openjdk/jdk/blob/f612dcfebea7ffd4390f833646ad45d6f0ebd04f/test/jdk/java/lang/ref/PhantomReferentClearing.java#L85-L92</a><br>
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