[Webkit-unassigned] [Bug 13289] New: Call stack size limit too aggressive for functional programming (Maximum call stack size exceeded)

[bugzilla-daemon at webkit.org]

http://bugs.webkit.org/show_bug.cgi?id=13289

           Summary: Call stack size limit too aggressive for functional
                    programming (Maximum call stack size exceeded)
           Product: WebKit
           Version: 419.x
          Platform: Macintosh PowerPC
        OS/Version: Mac OS X 10.4
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Severity: Major
          Priority: P2
         Component: JavaScriptCore
        AssignedTo: webkit-unassigned at lists.webkit.org
        ReportedBy: chris at zazzle.com


We recently encountered a "Maximum call stack size exceeded" error in Safari
with our online AJAX calendar design tool
(http://www.zazzle.com/design/calendar).

The first culprit one tends to suspect in a case like this is an infinite
recursion. However, after heavily scrutinizing and tracing through the code,
double checking, triple checking, and quadruple checking, it turned out that a
finite chain of recursion triggered the "Maximum call stack size exceeded"
error. The code in question was performing an iteration that could possibly
involve asynchronous processes, of the form...

function _processElementsAsync (_elements) {
        var
                _elementsLength = _elements.length,
                _elementNo = -1
        ;
        function _handleNextElement () {
                _elementNo++;
                if (_elementNo < _elementsLength) {
                        _someAsyncFunction (_elements
[_elementNo],_handleNextElement /* the continuation function */);
                } else {
                        // completion code
                }
        }
        _handleNextElement ();
}

AJAX development inevitably involves more functional style programming, with
more anonymous functions / lambda closures. This has effects on the patterns of
memory usage. The more extensively one utilizes asynchronous coding, the more
closures one tends to introduce. The application (and code) in question worked
without a hitch in IE6 and FF2, but produced the "Maximum call stack size
exceeded" error in Safari 2.04 (419.3).

An Internet search reveals a number of cutting edge JS / Web 2.0 developers
encountering this issue. Since JavaScript's functional programming facilities
are being utilized more and more in RIA's, more state memory is going to find
its way into the call stack rather than in deliberately created objects. In the
light of this, it seems Safari's configured limit on the call stack size is a
little bit too aggressive and may over time snag (and frustrate) more and more
serious / hard core Web application developers.


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