Method and apparatus for developing an application that implements garbage collection efficiently by combining proxy objects with compiler support

A method for developing an application using a first compiler and then compiling the application with a second compiler that provides direct support for garbage collection, the method comprising:

• developing the application using the first compiler, so that during execution of the application pointers within the system stack point indirectly to data objects through proxy objects;
• wherein the proxy objects contain pointers to the data objects, so that garbage collection operations can identify the data objects referenced by the pointers within the system stack by examining the proxy objects;
• developing a second compiler that facilitates identifying data objects referenced by the pointers in the system stack without using proxy objects;
• and
• compiling the application using the second compiler, wherein compiling the virtual machine using the second compiler includes creating a stack map, the stack map indicating which items within a stack frame in the system stack contain pointers to the data objects, so that during execution of the application, the pointers in the system stack point directly to the data objects without going through the proxy objects.

An apparatus for developing an application with support for efficient garbage collection, comprising:

• a first implementation of a set of proxy object methods defining operations on proxy objects, wherein pointers within a system stack point indirectly to data objects through the proxy objects, the proxy objects enabling garbage collection operations to identify data objects referenced by pointers in the system stack;
• a first compiler that compiles the first implementation of the set of proxy object methods into methods that manipulate proxy objects;
• a second implementation of the set of proxy object methods, to be used with the second compiler, the second implementation manipulating the pointers in the system stack instead of manipulating the proxy objects;
• and
• a second compiler that supports garbage collection by facilitating identification of data objects referenced by the pointers within the system stack without using the proxy objects;
• whereby the application can be developed with the first compiler using the first implementation of the set of proxy object methods, and the application can be subsequently compiled with the second compiler using the second implementation of the set of proxy object methods.

A method for developing an application, comprising:

• producing source code to implement the application, the source code including commands to perform garbage collection through proxy objects, the proxy objects being manipulated through a set of methods;
• compiling the source code into a first object code module using a first compiler, so that pointers within a system stack associated with the application point indirectly to data objects through the proxy objects;
• testing the application by executing the first object code module;
• and
• compiling the application into a second object code module using a second compiler, the second compiler including a mechanism that facilitates identifying data objects referenced by the pointers within the system stack without using the proxy objects, so that the set of methods defining operations on the proxy objects are implemented by manipulating the pointers on the system stack that point to the data objects directly.

A method for developing an application, comprising:

• a means for producing source code to implement the application, the source code including commands to perform garbage collection through proxy objects, the proxy objects being manipulated through a set of methods;
• a first compiling means for compiling the source code into a first object code module, so that pointers within a system stack point indirectly to data objects through the proxy objects;
• a testing means for testing the application by executing the first object code module;
• and
• a second compiling means for compiling the source code into a second object code module, the second compiling means including a mechanism that facilitates identifying data objects referenced by the pointers within the system stack without using the proxy objects, so that the set of methods defining operations on the proxy objects are implemented by manipulating the pointers on the system stack that point to the data objects directly.