I'm trying to reduce the memory leaks in my app, so i used instruments to find all the leaks. I managed to remove almost all of the leaks, except a very annoying one.
Instruments is telling me that i have a lot of NSPlaceholderstring leaks.
The code that generated the leak (according to instruments) is:
if (nil == storedHash)
{
NSString *description = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:#"1 = %# 2= %d", uId, service];
self.storedHash = description; // This line is the leak according to instruments
[description release];
description = nil;
}
return storedHash
storedHash is define like this:
#property(copy) NSString* storedHash;
I tried everything i can think of:
I used retain instead of copy
I used an autorelease allocation of the NSString (stringWithFormat)
I tried wrapping the code with an autorelease pool
Nothing of the above changed the leak. (In some cases the type of the leaks change, but there are still leaks)
Ideas anyone?
Where do you release storedHash? Do you release it in dealloc?
Note that NSPlaceholdeString is an implementation detail; it is the class of the instance returned by NSString's +alloc method.
How about in the dealloc method? Did you release the storedHash in the dealloc method? And how about checking if (nil == self.storedHash)
You should use
#property(nonatomic, retain) NSString* storedHash;
instead copy. #property(copy) didn't release your old NSObject and you should do it yourself:
if (nil == storedHash)
{
NSString *description = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:#"1 = %# 2= %d", uId, service];
[self.storedHash release];
self.storedHash = description; // This line is the leak according to instruments
[description release];
// description = nil; // it's unnecessary
}
also you should release storedHash in dealloc.
Related
I have an NSTimer that fires once per second.
And every second I have an NSString that needs to be changed.
I've never tried to deal with memory management before so I'm not sure if what I'm doing is right but instruments is saying under "alloc" that the line of code with stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString has 45MB of "Live Bytes" after about a minute...
(and the live byte count keeps on rising with every second and eventually crashes the app).
I think my issue lies somewhere with the MutableCopy code?
Here is my code:
-(void)myTimer {
if (testedit) {
[testedit release];
[withString1a release];
[forString1a release];
}
testedit = [[NSString alloc] init];
withString1a = [[NSString alloc] init];
forString1a = [[NSString alloc] init];
testedit = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:#"example"];
withString1a = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:#"e"];//this string gets its values randomly from an array in my real code
forString1a = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:#"flk34j"];//this string gets its values randomly from an array in my real code
testedit = [[testedit stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:withString1a withString:forString1a] mutableCopy];//memory leak /:
}
You are allocating memory for each object twice. When you alloc the second time and assign it to the same variable, the first piece of alloc'd memory becomes inaccessible and unreleasable.
Then you make a mutableCopy of testedit and assign the copy to the original's variable. Again, you leave a piece of inaccessible memory floating around.
The rule with non-ARC memory management is - for every alloc, new, copy or retain you need to have a corresponding release. You have 6 allocs, one copy, and only 3 releases.
Here are some suggestions.
Remove these duplicated allocations:
testedit = [[NSString alloc] init];
withString1a = [[NSString alloc] init];
forString1a = [[NSString alloc] init];
Presumably testedit, withString1a and forString1a are all iVars. (Please declare your iVars as autosynthesized properties and refer to them as self.testedit ... etc. that will make your code so much clearer to stack overflowers).
Take out all of this:
if (testedit) {
[testedit release];
[withString1a release];
[forString1a release];
}
Assuming these are all iVars, the correct place to release them is in your object's dealloc method
In fact withString1a and forString1a can be local variables, as you get their content from elsewhere:
NSString* withString1a = [[[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:#"e"] autorelease];
NSString* forString1a = [[[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:#"flk34j"] autorelease];
You can autorelease them as you don't need them to hang around after the method has finished.
These lines can also be written:
NSString* withString1a = [NSString stringWithFormat:#"e"];
NSString* forString1a = [NSString stringWithFormat:#"flk34j"];
(-stringWithFormat is a convenience method that returns an autoreleased object)
That leaves us with these two lines.
testedit = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:#"example"];
testedit = [[testedit stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:withString1a
withString:forString1a] mutableCopy];
It's not clear why you are treating testedit as an immutable string in the first line and a mutable string in the second. You don't need a mutable string here at all, as you are replacing testedit with a new string.
self.testedit = [[NSString alloc] initWithFormat:#"example"];
self.testedit = [[testedit stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:withString1a
withString:forString1a] copy];
(you need copy as stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:withString: returns an autoreleased object, and here you want to keep hold of it)
THE last piece of the jigsaw is getting rid of your _testedit iVar memory allocation. You do this in the dealloc method of your object:
- (void) dealloc {
[_testEdit release];
[super dealloc];
}
(Note that init, accessor, and dealloc methods are the three places where you should not refer to an iVar using property syntax.)
All good, but really, you should be using ARC! You are _far_more likely to introduce memory bugs this way than if you rely on the compiler to manage memory for you.
I would suggest you to make use of #property here.
In .h file declare the properties as:
#property (nonatomic, retain) NSString *testedit;
#property (nonatomic, retain) NSString *withString1a;
#property (nonatomic, retain) NSString *forString1a; //if required write the #synthesize as well in .m class
You can write your timer method as:
-(void)myTimer {
self.testedit = #"example";
self.withString1a = #"e";//this string gets its values randomly from an array in my real code
self.forString1a = #"flk34j";//this string gets its values randomly from an array in my real code
self.testedit = [self.testedit stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:self.withString1a withString:self.forString1a];
}
In dealloc method, you can set all the above properties as nil (self.testedit = nil;) or do a release on them([testedit release];).
If possible, try to switch to ARC, you dont have to worry about the memory management. The problem with your code was that you are using a lot of alloc/init statements without releasing the variable before doing it. This causes it to lose the reference of that variable and you will leak it. You dont need that many allocation statements. For every allocation or retain, there should be a corresponding release/auto-release statement.
If you're using ARC you shouldn't have an issue. If you aren't using ARC you can try adding autorelease:
testedit = [[[testedit stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:withString1a withString:forString1a] mutableCopy] autorelease];
You are getting a memory leak because you never de-allocate testedit. Whenever you call alloc, that means you need to deallocate it. This usually just means calling release.
Do something like this instead, then be sure to free up the memory you've allocated:
NSString* newString = [[testedit stringByReplacingOccurrencesOfString:withString1a withString:forString1a] mutableCopy];
I'm a newbie when it comes to objective C, and am currently experiencing a memory leak with the following code snippet. The memory leak occurs with the 'responseObj' allocation. Whenever I try to release it similar to responseData, I get a crash.
-(void) connectionDidFinishLoading:(NSURLConnection *)connection
{
NSString* responseStr = [[NSString alloc] initWithData:responseData encoding:NSUTF8StringEncoding];
NSMutableArray* responseObj = [responseStr objectFromJSONString];
[delegate loadGameDetails:[responseObj objectForKey:#"result"]];
[responseStr release];
[responseData release]; responseData = nil;
}
I also tried to autorelease as below, but I also get a crash:
[delegate loadGameDetails:[[responseObj objectForKey:#"result"] autorelease]];
What's the proper way for me to release this block of memory?
The problem is not in your allocation. Your are sending objectForKey: to a NSMutableArray which is actually a NSDictionary/NSMutableDictionary method. Double check what type of object objectFromJSONString really returns.
Nothing in that code is leaking. You have a possible over-release of responseData but I can't tell since the declaration and setup of it is not in scope. If it is an ivar you would typically set it to nil via the accessor (which would release it there) than directly as you have done here.
If there is a leak it is in your loadGameDetails method. What makes you think you have a memory leak? Have you run this through instruments, or used the static analyser?
I have these two buttons hooked up to these two methods (they're nearly identical)
-(void)moveOneImageNewer{
int num = [numberOfImage intValue];
num--;
numberOfImage = [[NSString stringWithFormat:#"%i",num] retain];
//Load the image
[self loadImage];
}
-(void)moveOneImageOlder{
int num = [numberOfImage intValue];
num++;
numberOfImage = [NSString stringWithFormat:#"%i",num];
//Load the image
[self loadImage];
}
If I hit either of them twice (or once each, basically if they get called a total of two times) I get an EXC_BAD_ACCESS. If I throw a retain on: numberOfImage = [[NSString stringWithFormat:#"%i",num]retain] it's fine though. Can someone explain why this is? I did an NSZombie on the instruments and traced it back to this stringWithFormat call. Thanks in advance!
+stringWithFormat: doesn't contain 'new', 'alloc', 'copy', or 'retain', so it should be expected that you have to retain the return value of it if you want the new NSString it creates to stick around.
Edited to include this handy link duskwuff kindly dug up: http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/MemoryMgmt/Articles/mmRules.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20000994-BAJHFBGH
If numberOfImage is a properly declared property, e.g.
#property (copy) NSString *numberOfImage;
and it was properly synthesized (in the #implementation section for the class):
#synthesize numberOfImage;
then you can do:
- (void) moveOneImageNewer
{
self.numberOfImage = [NSString stringWithFormat: #"%i", [self.numberOfImage intValue] - 1];
// Load the image
[self loadImage];
}
The property setter will take care of retaining the string and, if necessary, releasing the previous string.
FWIW, why on earth is numberOfImage a string? Why not a simple int?
numberOfImage is an instance variable or property of your class, right?
You are setting it to a stringWithFormat (which returns an auto-released NSString) without claiming ownership of that object (by calling retain).
If you do not retain it, it will get auto-released before the method is called again (and then the first line will fail, as it tries to access the previously set, now auto-released value).
Consider using properties, they have auto-generated memory management code (including releasing the old NSString when you set the new one).
You haven't retained the string object in "moveOneImageOlder", so that object gets autoreleased at the end of the event cycle and points to nothing. That's why you get the EXC_BAD_ACCESS next time you try to use it.
Use a retain to claim ownership of the NSString. Remember to release when you're done though (you can use properties to help you with this)
-(void)moveOneImageNewer{
int num = [numberOfImage intValue];
num--;
[numberOfImage release];
numberOfImage = [[NSString stringWithFormat:#"%i",num] retain];
//Load the image
[self loadImage];
}
-(void)moveOneImageOlder{
int num = [numberOfImage intValue];
num++;
[numberOfImage release];
numberOfImage = [[NSString stringWithFormat:#"%i",num] retain];
//Load the image
[self loadImage];
}
Add this in dealloc:
- (void)dealloc {
[numberOfImage release];
[super dealloc];
}
Well, the NSString class method "stringWithFormat" returns an autorelease NSString object if I'm right.
So the second call to your method would have numberOfImage pointing to nothing, as the autorelease NSString object it used to be pointing to has already been released and deallocated since you didn't retain it.
The part that is directly causing the crash is [numberOfImage intValue] when you call the method a second time, as you sending a message to an object (pointed to by numberOfImage) that no longer exist.
According to the leak instrument in XCode it's saying this line is giving a memory leak (100%)?
self.unsentPatients = [[NSMutableArray alloc] initWithArray:[defaults arrayForKey:UNSENT]];
I'm correctly releasing etc. on dealloc (which is definitely being ran) so I don't understand where I am going wrong?
It's only a small leak and Analysis doesn't come up with anything, but nonetheless it's still a leak.
Kind regards,
Dominic
There are many things wring with this code.
I'm assuming that the property is retaining the value, then you should not assign the value the way you are doing now, but more like:
NSMutableArray *temp = [[NSMutableArray alloc] initWithArray:[defaults arrayForKey:UNSENT]];
self.unsentPatients = temp;
[temp release], temp = nil;
or
self.unsentPatients = [[[NSMutableArray alloc] initWithArray:[defaults arrayForKey:UNSENT]] autorelease];
You should also avoid using the self. syntax in dealloc or init, which will call a mutator.
In multithreaded environment this could give problems.
So the correct dealloc would be:
- (void) dealloc {
[unsentPatients release], unsentPatients = nil;
[super dealloc][;
}
Removed release statements. Some of them seemed to be okay, but that was probably just because other things were exploding first.
- (void)handleNowPlayingItemChanged:(id)notification {
MPMediaItem *item = self.musicPlayer.nowPlayingItem;
NSString *title = [item valueForProperty:MPMediaItemPropertyTitle];
NSNumber *duration = [item
valueForProperty:MPMediaItemPropertyPlaybackDuration];
float totalTime = [duration floatValue];
progressSlider.maximumValue = totalTime;
CGSize artworkImageViewSize = self.albumCover.bounds.size;
MPMediaItemArtwork *artwork = [item valueForProperty:
MPMediaItemPropertyArtwork];
if (artwork) {
self.albumCover.image = [artwork imageWithSize:artworkImageViewSize];
} else {
self.albumCover.image = nil;
}
titleLabel.text = title;
/*OpenEars stuff*/
}
In another question I mention the SQLite errors concerning artwork.
** Deleted error and details concerning NSZombieEnabled alert of call to released objects. **
Well don't I feel stupid. It was all memory management.
I put effort into not leaking anything, even in a temporary solution, and yet I did this...
In the code you provide I do not see any calls to retain, alloc/init, or some variation of copy. That means that you should not have a any calls to release in that method and that will be the cause of your crash. Make sure you are not over releasing in other methods and remember the basics of memory management.
You're releasing title and artwork, but they're not yours. This will lead, soon or later, to a tentative to release an already deallocated object (from item's dealloc or somewhere else).
// [artwork release];
//[title release];
comment those since those are autoreleased object