Add console.countReset?

[domenic]

Edge has a method console.countReset(label) which allows resetting a counter. This seems useful, and in general it's better to add console methods than remove them, in my opinion.

If we spec this we should make sure that its behavior with no arguments, or undefined, is the same as that is decided for console.count(). (For that, see #88.)

[domfarolino]

I'm assuming we need some more interest since Edge is the only implementer of this if I'm not mistaken? @JosephPecoraro what do you think about possibly implementing this?

And as far as behavior goes, what should console.countReset() do?

• Clear the default label
• Clear all labels

I can see either being valid, but I lean toward the first?

[jasnell]

Just to weigh in here, this would be tremendously useful for Node.js if we were to land the implementation of console.count() there. @domenic has already linked the relevant PR above. The key concern in Node.js would be console.count() becoming the source of memory leaks if we don't have the ability to reset the counters.

[jasnell]

@domfarolino ... in edge, console.countReset() only resets the default label so that's likely how it should be defined in the standard. I can see an argument for adding either a console.countResetAll() or even a console.countReset(console.AllCounters) where console.AllCounters is a Symbol but that's purely speculative and of marginal value.

[alexkozy]

FYI: in current Chrome implementation, console.clear clears all stored messages from internal storage including any counters or timers.

[domenic]

Oh interesting; we should investigate if other browsers do that, and if so, include it in the spec.

[jasnell]

@ak239 ... is that a recent fix in Chrome? I just tested locally and as of 58.0.3029.81, calling console.clear() has no effect on the console.count() counters.

[alexkozy]

@jasnell please check Canary. I think it was regressed a long time ago and we just fixed it back, we can revert this change but it looks good to me.

[jasnell]

Ok, if the spec is updated to have console.clear() clear the counters and timers, I will make sure to add that the Node.js impl. That said, I still believe console.countReset() is still a good idea.

[bakulf]

Firefox doesn't cancel timers nor counts. To me console.clear() should just about cleaning console messages. I prefer console.countReset(optional DOMString label = "default");

[fmartin5]

Node.js does implement console.countReset([label='default']) as of v8.3.

[domfarolino]

Thanks @fmartin5. Looks like we should spec it then, I'm in favor of this, with default behavior being the same as console.count()/console.count(undefined) etc. I can file browser bugs for this soon.

I think the issue of console.clear() clearing other data (like timers and counts) should be a separate issue.