dummy gc

std/assembly/array.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { ALLOCATE, REALLOCATE, DISCARD, RETAIN, RELEASE, REGISTER, MAX_BYTELENGTH, ArrayBufferView } from "./runtime";
+import { ALLOCATE, REALLOCATE, DISCARD, RETAIN, RELEASE, REGISTER, MAX_BYTELENGTH, ArrayBufferView, MOVE } from "./runtime";
 import { ArrayBuffer } from "./arraybuffer";
 import { COMPARATOR, SORT } from "./util/sort";
 import { itoa, dtoa, itoa_stream, dtoa_stream, MAX_DOUBLE_LENGTH } from "./util/number";
@@ -76,8 +76,10 @@ export class Array<T> extends ArrayBufferView {
     if (isManaged<T>()) {
       let offset = this.dataStart + (<usize>index << alignof<T>());
       let oldValue = load<T>(offset);
-      store<T>(offset, RETAIN<T,this>(value, this));
+      if (value !== oldValue) {
-      RELEASE<T,this>(oldValue, this); // order is important
+        RELEASE<T,this>(oldValue, this);
+        store<T>(offset, RETAIN<T,this>(value, this));
+      }
     } else {
       store<T>(this.dataStart + (<usize>index << alignof<T>()), value);
     }
@@ -155,8 +157,7 @@ export class Array<T> extends ArrayBufferView {
     if (isManaged<T>()) {
       let thisStart = this.dataStart;
       for (let offset: usize = 0; offset < thisSize; offset += sizeof<T>()) {
-        let element = load<T>(thisStart + offset);
+        store<T>(outStart + offset, RETAIN<T,Array<T>>(load<T>(thisStart + offset), out));
-        store<T>(outStart + offset, RETAIN<T,Array<T>>(element, out));
       }
       let otherStart = other.dataStart;
       let otherSize = <usize>otherLen << alignof<T>();
@@ -332,13 +333,11 @@ export class Array<T> extends ArrayBufferView {
     var thisStart = this.dataStart;
     var thisBase  = thisStart + (<usize>start << alignof<T>());
     for (let i = 0; i < deleteCount; ++i) {
-      let deleted = load<T>(thisBase + (<usize>i << alignof<T>()));
+      store<T>(resultStart + (<usize>i << alignof<T>()),
-      if (isManaged<T>()) {
+        isManaged<T>()
-        store<T>(resultStart + (<usize>i << alignof<T>()), RETAIN<T,Array<T>>(deleted, result));
+          ? MOVE<T,this,Array<T>>(load<T>(thisBase + (<usize>i << alignof<T>())), this, result)
-        RELEASE<T,this>(deleted, this); // order is important
+          : load<T>(thisBase + (<usize>i << alignof<T>()))
-      } else {
+      );
-        store<T>(resultStart + (<usize>i << alignof<T>()), deleted);
-      }
     }
     memory.copy(
       result.dataStart,

std/assembly/collector/dummy.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+// A dummy GC for looking at generated GC code without actually implementing it.
+
+// @ts-ignore: decorator
+@inline
+const TRACE = false;
+
+// @ts-ignore: decorator
+@global @unsafe
+function __gc_register(ref: usize): void {
+  if (TRACE) trace("gc.register", 1, ref);
+}
+
+// @ts-ignore: decorator
+@global @unsafe
+function __gc_retain(ref: usize, parentRef: usize): void {
+  if (TRACE) trace("gc.retain", 2, ref, parentRef);
+}
+
+// @ts-ignore: decorator
+@global @unsafe
+function __gc_release(ref: usize, parentRef: usize): void {
+  if (TRACE) trace("gc.release", 2, ref, parentRef);
+}
+
+// @ts-ignore: decorator
+@global @unsafe
+function __gc_move(ref: usize, oldParentRef: usize, newParentRef: usize): void {
+  if (TRACE) trace("gc.move", 3, ref, oldParentRef, newParentRef);
+}
+
+// @ts-ignore: decorator
+@global @unsafe
+function __gc_collect(): void {
+  if (TRACE) trace("gc.collect");
+}

std/assembly/collector/itcm.ts

@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ function objToRef(obj: ManagedObject): usize {
 // @ts-ignore: decorator
 @global @unsafe
 export function __gc_register(ref: usize): void {
-  if (TRACE) trace("gc.register", 2, ref);
+  if (TRACE) trace("gc.register", 1, ref);
   step(); // also makes sure it's initialized
   var obj = refToObj(ref);
   obj.color = white;

std/assembly/fixedarray.ts

@@ -38,8 +38,10 @@ export class FixedArray<T> {
     if (isManaged<T>()) {
       let offset = changetype<usize>(this) + (<usize>index << alignof<T>());
       let oldValue = load<T>(offset);
-      store<T>(offset, RETAIN<T,this>(value, this));
+      if (value !== oldValue) {
-      RELEASE<T,this>(oldValue, this); // order is important
+        RELEASE<T,this>(oldValue, this);
+        store<T>(offset, RETAIN<T,this>(value, this));
+      }
     } else {
       store<T>(changetype<usize>(this) + (<usize>index << alignof<T>()), value);
     }

std/assembly/map.ts

@@ -106,8 +106,10 @@ export class Map<K,V> {
     if (entry) {
       if (isManaged<V>()) {
         let oldValue = entry.value;
-        entry.value = RETAIN<V,this>(value, this);
+        if (value !== oldValue) {
-        RELEASE<V,this>(oldValue, this); // order is important
+          RELEASE<V,this>(oldValue, this);
+          entry.value = RETAIN<V,this>(value, this);
+        }
       } else {
         entry.value = value;
       }

std/assembly/runtime.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 // The runtime provides a set of macros for dealing with common AssemblyScript internals, like
-// allocation, memory management in general, integration with a (potenial) garbage collector
+// allocation, memory management in general, integration with a (potential) garbage collector
 // and interfaces to hard-wired data types like buffers and their views. Doing so ensures that
 // no matter which underlying implementation of a memory allocator or garbage collector is used,
 // as long as all runtime/managed objects adhere to the runtime conventions, it'll all play well
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import { HEAP_BASE, memory } from "./memory";
 // Changes the size of a previously allocated, but not yet registered, runtime object, for
 // example when a pre-allocated buffer turned out to be too small or too large. This works by
 // aligning dynamic allocations to actual block size internally so in the best case REALLOCATE
-// only changes a size while in the worst case moves the object to larger block.
+// only updates payload size while in the worst case moves the object to larger a block.
 //
 // DISCARD(ref)
 // ------------
@@ -45,6 +45,14 @@ import { HEAP_BASE, memory } from "./memory";
 // ignore this by design, while a reference counting collector decrements the reference count
 // and potentially frees the runtime object.
 //
+// MOVE<T,TOldParent,TNewParent>(ref, oldParentRef, newParentRef)
+// --------------------------------------------------------------
+// Moves a reference to ref hold by oldParentRef to be now hold by newParentRef. This is a
+// special case of first RELEASE'ing a reference on one and instantly RETAIN'ing the reference
+// on another parent. A tracing garbage collector will most likely link the runtime object as if
+// RETAIN'ed on the new parent only, while a reference counting collector can skip increment and
+// decrement, as decrementing might otherwise involve a costly check for cyclic garbage.
+//
 // ALLOCATE_UNMANAGED(size)
 // ------------------------
 // Allocates an unmanaged struct-like object. This is used by the compiler as an abstraction
@@ -209,7 +217,11 @@ function doRegister(ref: usize, classId: u32): usize {
 export function RETAIN<T,TParent>(ref: T, parentRef: TParent): T {
   if (!isManaged<T>()) ERROR("managed reference expected");
   if (!isManaged<TParent>()) ERROR("managed reference expected");
-  doRetain(changetype<usize>(ref), changetype<usize>(parentRef));
+  if (isNullable<T>()) {
+    if (ref !== null) doRetain(changetype<usize>(ref), changetype<usize>(parentRef));
+  } else {
+    doRetain(changetype<usize>(ref), changetype<usize>(parentRef));
+  }
   return ref;
 }
 
@@ -228,7 +240,13 @@ function doRetain(ref: usize, parentRef: usize): void {
 export function RELEASE<T,TParent>(ref: T, parentRef: TParent): void {
   if (!isManaged<T>()) ERROR("managed reference expected");
   if (!isManaged<TParent>()) ERROR("managed reference expected");
-  doRelease(changetype<usize>(ref), changetype<usize>(parentRef));
+  // FIXME: new Array<Ref>(10) has non-nullable elements but still contains `null`s.
+  // In the future, something like this should probably initialize with `new Ref()`s.
+  // if (isNullable<T>()) {
+    if (ref !== null) doRelease(changetype<usize>(ref), changetype<usize>(parentRef));
+  // } else {
+  //   doRelease(changetype<usize>(ref), changetype<usize>(parentRef));
+  // }
 }
 
 function doRelease(ref: usize, parentRef: usize): void {
@@ -240,6 +258,41 @@ function doRelease(ref: usize, parentRef: usize): void {
   if (GC_IMPLEMENTED) __gc_release(changetype<usize>(ref), changetype<usize>(parentRef));
 }
 
+/** Moves a registered object from one parent to another. */
+// @ts-ignore: decorator
+@unsafe @inline
+export function MOVE<T,TOldParent,TNewParent>(ref: T, oldParentRef: TOldParent, newParentRef: TNewParent): T {
+  if (!isManaged<T>()) ERROR("managed reference expected");
+  if (!isManaged<TOldParent>()) ERROR("managed reference expected");
+  if (!isManaged<TNewParent>()) ERROR("managed reference expected");
+  if (isNullable<T>()) {
+    if (ref !== null) doMove(changetype<usize>(ref), changetype<usize>(oldParentRef), changetype<usize>(newParentRef));
+  } else {
+    doMove(changetype<usize>(ref), changetype<usize>(oldParentRef), changetype<usize>(newParentRef));
+  }
+  return ref;
+}
+
+function doMove(ref: usize, oldParentRef: usize, newParentRef: usize): void {
+  if (!ASC_NO_ASSERT) {
+    assertRegistered(ref);
+    assertRegistered(oldParentRef);
+    assertRegistered(newParentRef);
+  }
+  if (GC_IMPLEMENTED) {
+    // @ts-ignore: stub
+    if (isDefined(__gc_move)) {
+      // @ts-ignore: stub
+      __gc_move(changetype<usize>(ref), changetype<usize>(oldParentRef), changetype<usize>(newParentRef));
+    } else {
+      // @ts-ignore: stub
+      __gc_retain(changetype<usize>(ref), changetype<usize>(newParentRef));
+      // @ts-ignore: stub
+      __gc_release(changetype<usize>(ref), changetype<usize>(oldParentRef));
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 /** Discards an unregistered object that turned out to be unnecessary. */
 // @ts-ignore: decorator
 @unsafe @inline
@@ -283,7 +336,7 @@ function assertUnregistered(ref: usize): void {
 /** Asserts that a managed object has already been registered. */
 // @ts-ignore: decorator
 function assertRegistered(ref: usize): void {
-  // may be a static string or buffer (not a heap object)
+  assert(ref !== null); // may be a static string or buffer (not a heap object)
   assert(changetype<HEADER>(ref - HEADER_SIZE).classId != HEADER_MAGIC);
 }
 

std/assembly/string.ts

@@ -357,16 +357,16 @@ import { compareImpl, parse, CharCode, isWhiteSpaceOrLineTerminator } from "./ut
       let result = new Array<String>(length);
       let resultStart = changetype<ArrayBufferView>(result).dataStart;
       for (let i: isize = 0; i < length; ++i) {
-        let charStr = ALLOCATE(2);
+        let charStr = REGISTER<String>(ALLOCATE(2));
         store<u16>(
-          charStr,
+          changetype<usize>(charStr),
           load<u16>(changetype<usize>(this) + (<usize>i << 1))
         );
         // result[i] = charStr
         store<String>(resultStart + (<usize>i << alignof<usize>()),
           isManaged<String>()
-            ? RETAIN<String,Array<String>>(REGISTER<String>(charStr), result)
+            ? RETAIN<String,Array<String>>(charStr, result)
-            : REGISTER<String>(charStr)
+            : charStr
         );
       }
       return result;

tests/compiler.js

@@ -231,9 +231,8 @@ tests.forEach(filename => {
         let memory = new WebAssembly.Memory({ initial: 10 });
         let exports = {};
 
-        const RUNTIME_HEADER_SIZE = 8; // 16 if GC is present
-
         function getString(ptr) {
+          const RUNTIME_HEADER_SIZE = exports[".capabilities"] & 2 ? 16 : 8;
           if (!ptr) return "null";
           var U32 = new Uint32Array(exports.memory ? exports.memory.buffer : memory.buffer);
           var U16 = new Uint16Array(exports.memory ? exports.memory.buffer : memory.buffer);

tests/compiler/std/array.ts

@@ -1,7 +1,10 @@
 import "allocator/arena";
+import "collector/dummy";
 import { Array } from "array";
 import { COMPARATOR } from "util/sort";
 
+@start export function main(): void {}
+
 // Obtains the internal capacity of an array from its backing buffer.
 function internalCapacity<T>(array: Array<T>): i32 {
   // the memory region used by the backing buffer might still be larger in that the ArrayBuffer