add 'shortest path to GC root' selection view

[eclipsewebmaster]

| --- | --- | | Bugzilla Link | 272324 | | Status | ASSIGNED | | Importance | P3 enhancement | | Reported | Apr 15, 2009 10:52 EDT | | Modified | Aug 07, 2009 06:27 EDT | | Reporter | Randall Theobald |

Description

Often when doing memory analysis, I want to browse through many instances and quickly see what their 'shortest path to a GC root' is (I'll call this the instance's 'traceback'). This would need to be a separate view (visible concurrently with the main views) that would update based on the current selection in the main view. I see this as a peer (or part of) the Inspector view.

The current option to merge/display paths to GC roots for an object provides this ability in a clunky way, especially for very deep reference chains. The traceback view I am requesting here would be a non-indented, fully-expanded display of the references leading back to the GC root, with the GC root at the top.

This view could be configurable to skip weak/soft references, or to skip some object as specified by the user (i.e. find the next shortest path that doesn't include the specified object). The view should also be usable from a context menu stand-point (be able to right-click on an instance in the traceback and have the standard variety of options--including the option to ignore the instance in the traceback).