Can I trigger JavaScript's garbage collection?

Question

I want to trigger JavaScript garbage collection. Is it possible? Why would I want to, or not want to, do this?

Answer 1

If it is true that there is no way to trigger a GC, as implied by the other answers, then the solution would be for the appropriate browser standards group to add a new JavaScript function to window or document to do this. It is useful to allow the web page to trigger a GC at a time of its own choosing, so that animations and other high-priority operations (sound output?) will not be interrupted by a GC.

This might be another case of "we've always done it this way; don't rock the boat" syndrome.

ADDED:

MDN documents a function "Components.utils.schedulePreciseGC" that lets a page schedule a GC sometime in the future with a callback function that is called when the GC is complete. This may not exist in browsers other than Firefox; the documentation is unclear. This function might be usable prior to animations; it needs to be tested.