docs(gc): document boa_gc API surface used by the engine (#38)

mrhapile · web-flow · commit 502fc925ecb9 · 2026-03-13T10:51:49.000-05:00
* tests: add coverage for WeakGc constructor (weak.rs)

Signed-off-by: mrhapile &lt;allinonegaming3456@gmail.com&gt;

* boa_gc API surface

Signed-off-by: mrhapile &lt;allinonegaming3456@gmail.com&gt;

* remove unrelated WeakGc tests from API surface documentation PR

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* formating

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* docs: add methodology and usage links to boa_gc API surface doc

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---------

Signed-off-by: mrhapile &lt;allinonegaming3456@gmail.com&gt;
diff --git a/docs/boa_gc_api_surface.md b/docs/boa_gc_api_surface.md
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+# Boa GC API Surface
+
+## 1. Overview
+
+The Boa JavaScript engine depends on the `boa_gc` crate for all garbage-collected memory
+management. This document defines the subset of the `boa_gc` public API that the engine
+actually uses at compile time and runtime.
+
+Any alternative garbage collector aiming to replace `boa_gc` (for example, Oscars GC)
+**must implement this interface** to serve as a drop-in replacement. APIs not listed here
+are internal to the collector and are not part of the engine-facing contract.
+
+## Methodology
+
+The API surface documented here was derived by inspecting the current
+`boa_gc` usage inside the Boa repository.
+
+The process included:
+
+- Searching for `use boa_gc::` imports across the engine
+- Inspecting how core types (`Gc`, `WeakGc`, `GcCell`, `Trace`, `Finalize`)
+  are used throughout the codebase
+- Reviewing `Trace` and `Finalize` implementations to understand the
+  traversal contract
+- Inspecting weak structures (`WeakMap`, `WeakRef`) to identify required
+  weak reference semantics
+
+This was done through manual inspection of the Boa engine source to
+extract the GC interface boundary relied upon by the runtime.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Core Pointer Types
+
+| Type | Role |
+|---|---|
+| `Gc<T>` | Strong, trace-aware smart pointer. Primary way the engine holds GC-managed values. |
+| `WeakGc<T>` | Weak reference that does not prevent collection. Used for caches and JS `WeakRef`. |
+| `GcRefCell<T>` | Interior-mutability wrapper for values stored behind a `Gc`. Analogous to `RefCell`. |
+| `GcRef<'a, T>` | Immutable borrow guard returned by `GcRefCell::borrow`. |
+| `GcRefMut<'a, T>` | Mutable borrow guard returned by `GcRefCell::borrow_mut`. |
+
+These five types appear in virtually every subsystem of the engine: the object model,
+environments, bytecode compiler, module system, and builtins.
+
+Example usage in Boa:
+
+- https://github.com/boa-dev/boa/blob/main/core/engine/src/object/jsobject.rs
+- https://github.com/boa-dev/boa/blob/main/core/engine/src/value/mod.rs
+
+---
+
+## 3. Pointer Operations
+
+### Allocation
+
+```rust
+// Allocate a new GC-managed value.
+Gc::new(value: T) -> Gc<T>
+
+// Allocate a value that may reference itself through a weak pointer.
+Gc::new_cyclic<F>(data_fn: F) -> Gc<T>
+where F: FnOnce(&WeakGc<T>) -> T
+```
+
+### Cloning & Identity
+
+```rust
+// Duplicate the smart pointer (increments root tracking).
+impl Clone for Gc<T>
+
+// Compare two pointers by address, not by value.
+Gc::ptr_eq(this: &Gc<T>, other: &Gc<U>) -> bool
+```
+
+### Raw Pointer Conversion
+
+Used at FFI boundaries (native function closures, synthetic modules).
+
+```rust
+// Consume the Gc and return a raw pointer. Must be paired with from_raw.
+Gc::into_raw(this: Gc<T>) -> NonNull<GcBox<T>>
+
+// Reconstruct a Gc from a raw pointer previously obtained via into_raw.
+unsafe fn Gc::from_raw(ptr: NonNull<GcBox<T>>) -> Gc<T>
+```
+
+### Type Casting
+
+Used by the object model to downcast erased object types.
+
+```rust
+// Runtime type check and downcast.
+Gc::downcast<U>(this: Gc<T>) -> Option<Gc<U>>
+
+// Unchecked downcast. Caller must guarantee correctness.
+unsafe fn Gc::cast_unchecked<U>(this: Gc<T>) -> Gc<U>
+
+// Unchecked reference cast without consuming the pointer.
+unsafe fn Gc::cast_ref_unchecked<U>(this: &Gc<T>) -> &Gc<U>
+```
+
+### Dereferencing
+
+```rust
+impl Deref for Gc<T> { type Target = T; }
+```
+
+`Gc<T>` transparently dereferences to `T`, allowing direct field and method access.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Interior Mutability API
+
+### GcRefCell
+
+```rust
+GcRefCell::new(value: T) -> GcRefCell<T>
+
+GcRefCell::borrow(&self)         -> GcRef<'_, T>
+GcRefCell::borrow_mut(&self)     -> GcRefMut<'_, T>
+GcRefCell::try_borrow(&self)     -> Result<GcRef<'_, T>, BorrowError>
+GcRefCell::try_borrow_mut(&self) -> Result<GcRefMut<'_, T>, BorrowMutError>
+GcRefCell::into_inner(self)      -> T
+```
+
+### Borrow Guard Mapping
+
+`GcRef` and `GcRefMut` support projecting the borrow into a sub-field of the
+contained value, similar to `std::cell::Ref::map`.
+
+```rust
+GcRef::map<U>(orig: GcRef<'_, T>,  f: F) -> GcRef<'_, U>
+GcRef::try_map<U>(orig: GcRef<'_, T>, f: F) -> Result<GcRef<'_, U>, GcRef<'_, T>>
+GcRef::cast<U>(orig: GcRef<'_, T>) -> GcRef<'_, U>   // unsafe or checked downcast
+
+GcRefMut::map<U>(orig: GcRefMut<'_, T>,  f: F) -> GcRefMut<'_, U>
+GcRefMut::try_map<U>(orig: GcRefMut<'_, T>, f: F) -> Result<GcRefMut<'_, U>, GcRefMut<'_, T>>
+GcRefMut::cast<U>(orig: GcRefMut<'_, T>) -> GcRefMut<'_, U>
+```
+
+---
+
+## 5. Weak Reference System
+
+### WeakGc
+
+```rust
+// Create a weak reference from a strong pointer.
+WeakGc::new(value: &Gc<T>) -> WeakGc<T>
+
+// Attempt to obtain a strong reference. Returns None if the object was collected.
+WeakGc::upgrade(&self) -> Option<Gc<T>>
+```
+
+A `WeakGc<T>` **must not** prevent its referent from being collected. After collection,
+`upgrade()` must return `None`.
+
+### Ephemeron
+
+An `Ephemeron<K, V>` is a key-value pair where the value is only considered reachable
+if the key is independently reachable. `WeakGc<T>` is implemented internally as
+`Ephemeron<T, ()>`.
+
+### WeakMap
+
+`WeakMap<K, V>` is a GC-aware associative container whose entries are automatically
+removed when their key becomes unreachable. It is used by the engine to implement the
+ECMAScript `WeakMap` and `WeakSet` builtins.
+
+---
+
+## 6. GC Traits
+
+### Trace
+
+```rust
+pub unsafe trait Trace {
+    /// Mark all GC pointers contained within this value.
+    unsafe fn trace(&self, tracer: &mut Tracer);
+
+    /// Count non-root references during the root-detection phase.
+    unsafe fn trace_non_roots(&self);
+
+    /// Execute the associated finalizer.
+    fn run_finalizer(&self);
+}
+```
+
+Every type stored inside a `Gc<T>` must implement `Trace`. The collector calls `trace`
+during the mark phase to discover reachable objects.
+
+Example implementations:
+
+- https://github.com/boa-dev/boa/blob/main/core/engine/src/object/jsobject.rs
+- https://github.com/boa-dev/boa/blob/main/core/engine/src/context/mod.rs
+
+### Finalize
+
+```rust
+pub trait Finalize {
+    /// Called before the object is reclaimed.
+    fn finalize(&self);
+}
+```
+
+`Finalize` provides a cleanup hook that runs **before** memory is freed. Implementations
+may perform resource cleanup (e.g., releasing file handles or detaching array buffers).
+
+> **Important:** Finalizers execute before the sweep phase and may resurrect objects by
+> storing references back into the live graph. The collector must re-mark the heap after
+> finalization to handle this case.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Derive Macros
+
+### Automatic Derivation
+
+```rust
+#[derive(Trace, Finalize)]
+pub struct MyStruct {
+    field: Gc<OtherStruct>,
+}
+```
+
+`#[derive(Trace)]` generates a `trace` implementation that recursively traces each field.
+`#[derive(Finalize)]` generates an empty finalizer.
+
+### Manual Tracing Helpers
+
+```rust
+// Implement Trace with a custom body.
+custom_trace!(this, mark, {
+    mark(&this.field_a);
+    mark(&this.field_b);
+});
+
+// Implement Trace as a no-op for types containing no GC pointers.
+empty_trace!();
+
+// Unsafe variant of empty_trace for foreign types.
+unsafe_empty_trace!();
+```
+
+---
+
+## 8. Tracing Infrastructure
+
+The `Tracer` type is passed to every `Trace::trace` implementation during the mark phase.
+
+```rust
+impl Tracer {
+    /// Enqueue a GC pointer for marking.
+    pub fn enqueue(&mut self, ptr: GcErasedPointer);
+}
+```
+
+The `custom_trace!` macro provides a `mark` closure that calls `tracer.enqueue` internally,
+so most code interacts with the tracer indirectly:
+
+```rust
+custom_trace!(this, mark, {
+    mark(&this.some_gc_field);
+});
+```
+
+The tracer uses an internal work queue to avoid deep recursion when walking large object
+graphs.
+
+---
+
+## 9. Weak Collections
+
+### WeakMap
+
+```rust
+WeakMap::new()  -> WeakMap<K, V>
+WeakMap::get(&self, key: &K)  -> Option<V>
+WeakMap::set(&self, key: &K, value: V)
+WeakMap::has(&self, key: &K)  -> bool
+WeakMap::delete(&self, key: &K) -> bool
+WeakMap::get_or_insert(&self, key: &K, value: V) -> V
+WeakMap::get_or_insert_computed(&self, key: &K, f: F) -> V
+```
+
+### Ephemeron Rule
+
+> A value in an ephemeron pair remains reachable **only if** the key is independently
+> reachable through the strong reference graph.
+
+The collector must implement this rule during the mark phase:
+1. Mark all strong roots.
+2. For each ephemeron, if the key is marked, trace the value.
+3. Repeat until no new marks are produced.
+4. Remaining ephemerons with unmarked keys are considered dead.
+
+---
+
+## 10. Runtime Utilities
+
+```rust
+/// Trigger an immediate garbage collection cycle.
+pub fn force_collect();
+
+/// Returns true if it is safe to run finalizers (i.e., the collector is not
+/// currently in the sweep/drop phase).
+pub fn finalizer_safe() -> bool;
+```
+
+`force_collect` is used by tests, the CLI debugger, and indirectly by `WeakRef` deref
+semantics. `finalizer_safe` guards against use-after-free during the drop phase.
+
+---
+
+## 11. Allocation Model
+
+All GC allocations go through `Gc::new`:
+
+```rust
+let obj = Gc::new(MyValue { ... });
+let cell = Gc::new(GcRefCell::new(inner));
+```
+
+**No heap handle is passed.** The GC runtime manages heap state internally (typically
+via thread-local storage). This means a replacement collector must either:
+- use a thread-local or global allocator, **or**
+- refactor the engine to pass an explicit context (breaking change).
+
+---
+
+## 12. Minimal Compatibility Contract
+
+### Pointer Types
+- `Gc<T>`, `WeakGc<T>`, `GcRefCell<T>`, `GcRef<T>`, `GcRefMut<T>`
+
+### Traits
+- `Trace`, `Finalize`
+
+### Derive & Helper Macros
+- `#[derive(Trace)]`, `#[derive(Finalize)]`
+- `custom_trace!`, `empty_trace!`, `unsafe_empty_trace!`
+
+### Pointer Methods
+- `Gc::new`, `Gc::new_cyclic`, `Gc::into_raw`, `Gc::from_raw`
+- `Gc::ptr_eq`, `Gc::downcast`, `Gc::cast_unchecked`, `Gc::cast_ref_unchecked`
+- `Clone`, `Deref`
+
+### Interior Mutability
+- `GcRefCell::new`, `borrow`, `borrow_mut`, `try_borrow`, `try_borrow_mut`, `into_inner`
+- `GcRef::map`, `GcRef::try_map`, `GcRef::cast`
+- `GcRefMut::map`, `GcRefMut::try_map`, `GcRefMut::cast`
+
+### Weak References
+- `WeakGc::new`, `WeakGc::upgrade`
+- `WeakMap` with full CRUD API
+- Ephemeron semantics
+
+### Runtime Utilities
+- `force_collect()`, `finalizer_safe()`
+
+---
+
+## 13. Conclusion
+
+Boa relies on a small but precise garbage collector interface organized around five
+concepts:
+
+1. **Strong pointers** (`Gc<T>`) for all heap-allocated engine objects.
+2. **Weak references** (`WeakGc<T>`, `Ephemeron`, `WeakMap`) for caches and JS weak
+   collections.
+3. **Interior mutability** (`GcRefCell<T>`) for safe mutation behind shared pointers.
+4. **Trait-based tracing** (`Trace`, `Finalize`) for reachability analysis and cleanup.
+5. **Macro-generated traversal** (`#[derive(Trace)]`, `custom_trace!`) for ergonomic
+   integration with 100+ engine types.
+
+Any collector that implements this interface — with stable non-moving pointer identity
+and correct ephemeron support — can serve as a drop-in replacement for `boa_gc`.
