chakra-core/ChakraCore

Review feature switches/Remove old always on switches

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#6,415 opened on Apr 11, 2020

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Codebase QualityTaskhelp wanted

Description

ChakraCore contains numerous feature switches that in practise are never used - e.g. there's a switch to disable promises and one to disable proxies etc. Some of these bloat the codebase AND require runtime checks for whether they're enabled or not.

EDIT: we should also consider removing phase/option switches that are never used see #4311 for one example (though in that case it's an always on switch)

We should investigate removing some/several of the older ones that are unlikely to ever be switched off and all associated checks.

Note, see lib/Commmon/ConfigFlagsList.h for all switches as the place to start looking.

edit: The PR ref'd below makes a start at this but there's more to do.

Contributor guide

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
backendperformance
Issue type
refactor
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
4
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
over 1 week
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
stale
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
C++ programmingUnderstanding of ChakraCore codebaseFamiliarity with feature flagsBuild system knowledge
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
20
Research direction
Start by examining the file lib/Common/ConfigFlagsList.h (noted in the issue) to identify feature switches that are always enabled. For each identified switch, trace its usage across the codebase to find runtime checks that can be removed. The issue references a previous PR that made a start; review that PR for guidance. Additionally, consider removing phase/option switches that are never used as mentioned in #4311. Ensure that removal does not affect the engine's functionality.