I'm trying to use XCode's Leaks utility to fix some memory leaks in my code. Is there a better and more understandable way to check for leaks with explanations that pinpoint the exact line and/or offer suggestions?
Another question, I'm using AVAudioRecorder in my code in one of my view controllers. Should I load the recorder in viewDidLoad or in viewWillAppear?
If you're using Snow Leopard, have you tried using the static analyzer?
As mentioned, use Static Analyzer as a first line of defense.
It will not find everything.
But here's the problem with what you are requesting of Leaks. Think about what a leak is - a leak is when you have memory, that should have been released, but it is not.
So that means you are MISSING a line of code, that could have been placed anywhere - doing the actual release at the right time. But how could the tool possibly know when something SHOULD have been released?
So instead, the tool does the next best thing. It tells you where the leaking memory was allocated, then from there it's up to you to figure out where the object travelled and when it should actually have been released.
Static Analyzer will find the cases where you should have released in a few lines of code from when you created the object. Anything else, you just need to use Leaks to get a starting point to track down when you need to release something elsewhere.
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While developing apps in Xcode memory leaks are occurring. When I checked them in extended detail view they are showing different methods that are not related to implemented. How to exactly find out which object is leaking and where it is leaking memory.
When ARC is enabled we have to take care of memory leaks or not?
Even with ARC memory leaks can occur, it just inserts release and autorelease during compile time.
1. You must check for leaks using Build and analyze in XCode, shift+command+b you should be clearing those issues.
2. After that you can start using the instruments by using profile option command+i . This will point you to where the leak might be.
This link will help you too http://soulwithmobiletechnology.blogspot.in/2011/04/how-to-check-memory-leaks-in-xcode-4.html
Edit: Added some screenshots to hopefully make it clear.
During profiling after selecting leaks choose the call tree option and check the boxes hide system libraries , invert call tree and show obj-c only as shown in image below.
After double clicking the symbol name below you'll get the line where it is leaking.
You'll get something like this.
Yes, even with ARC there are memory leaks. ARC is not a garbage collector, it only inserts for you, at compile time, retains, releases and autoreleases in key positions. So although it does help the developer, you should be aware that memory leaks still exist (for instance circular referencing). You can start by using the Static Analyzer and correct any problem it shows you. You can then go to Instruments and choose Leaks.
I've run into an issue with zombie/overreleased objects (in this case a CFArray). The problem is that I can't figure out where it's coming from. I'm doing a whole bunch of NSURLConnections at once, and according to Instruments, all the calls that lead to the overreleasing of the object are made in CFNetwork.
I'm kind of new to Instruments. Is there a way I can trace the call stack for these memory events? It might help me find where I'm going wrong.
Enable NSZombie flag in edit scheme.It will let u know where exactly ur app is crashing.And make sure disable it once u figure out the crash.because it will not release all released objects wihch will lead to huge memory usage.
I'm building an application that reads rss files something like Bing or Pulse, so I've built a class (UIViewController) that shows each individual entry in the feed and a class that contains that list of entries and another class that shows all the feeds at once, and I've not used any xib files so I've implemented a method in each class that gets called after each rotation to reset the frames of the views inside that class. But I'm facing a problem in the memory especially when calling that method when a rotation happens knowing that it just assigns a CGRect to each frame in the view.
So could you please help me to avoid this problem or suggest a different way to avoid it, and am I right about not using xib files or should I use them when ever I can and set the rotation thing inside them (using the auto resizing mask).
And if there is some complex free example like those applications, could any body point me to it.
Any help would be greatly appreciated,
and thanks in advance...
First, there is no reason to avoid nib files when they are useful to you. They are often useful. There is no reason to use nib files when they are not useful to you. If you have complex layout, they are definitely very useful. Whether to use them or not, however, is a personal choice based on the particular application. As a beginner, I would recommend using them and getting comfortable with them, and particularly relying on the Xcode templates to set them up correctly.
Nib files aren't your issue, one way or another here. You're leaking memory, and you need to investigate why. First, run the static analyzer to make sure there are no obvious errors. Then run your app under Instruments (Leaks) and look for large leaks. Then run your app under Instruments (Allocations) and look for what's eating the most memory. That should point you to your error.
The most likely cause, without any insight into your code, is that you are misusing ivars. Make sure that you access your ivars through accessors (except in init, dealloc and in the accessors). Directly accessing your ivars is the #1 cause of memory problems in iOS.
Release the objects properly which has been allocated and defined globally. Do not release the object of your UIViewController when it is active. Most of the leakage problems occur by releasing the object of the UIViewController before it reaches out of scope.
I am trying to locate leaks using instruments, but the leaks I see there are like the ones in the next picture:
leaks
As you can see there's no information of which line of code is exactly leaking. All leaks I have, around 20, are like this, or in other words, the leaks don't show any line of my code in particular.
The leak in this picture is related to "_CFAllocatorSystem" (???) on the CoreFoundation and I have others that simply say GSEvent. I have no clue of what's generating these.
How can I discover that?
thanks for any help.
I think you want to go into instruments after running under leak and select "Source View". Then you need to drag your source files into the instrument window. It will then show the lines in the code where the leak occurs along with the call stack.
Some toss off code of mine leaks a view. It looks like this in Instruments:
alt text http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/9669/screenshot20091028at131.png
The thing that Leaks shows you is, the trace to the code that allocated the object that is leaking (which means it is retained but your application has no variables left that have that address). What it does not show you is just where the object should have been released to not cause the leak, for that is impossible to know (it is possible to find where release is currently being called, but that may not be so helpful).
So what this trace is telling me, is that some bit of memory allocated by the system is being retained by you, and then the reference forgotten - one key is the "PurpleEvent" line, which is common in a thread dealing with timer events or perhaps notifications. It could be you received a notification and kept something from it, without releasing it later on.
If you know about at what point the leak occurs, you should be able to isolate what code is running during that time.
See here and especially this quote:
This list informs you about the leaked objects' types, sizes, addresses, and even their call stacks.
Then you can trace the source of leaked memories through the call stacks.
The stack trace shows you exactly which line is the culprit. Apparently line 14 in main.m in your case. Dont know what you confused about?
The guilty was the accelerometer and I am compiling for OS 3.0.
In other words, the accelerometer that Apple said its leaks were fixed, is still leaking like hell.
I'm using the Leaks Instruments feature through Xcode to (try and) find memory leaks. I still haven't figured out how to use this program. I click Leaks in the program and see memory increasing as I do various things in the simulator. I have Extended Detail pane displayed. The only thing in Extended Detail pane that references my app is main. As in the main method produced by Xcode. Everything else is UIKit, Foundations, and other SDK classes I didn't write. What am I doing wrong that nothing is showing up from my app?
Before I hit 3 minutes, there are over 100 leaks totaling 2.5k. Is this common?
I've written up a Tutorial on using Instruments to track iPhone memory leaks. I'm not sure if it will help you with what you're dealing with or not...couldn't hurt, though. :-)
http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/tutorials/tracking-iphone-memory-leaks/
Change the view to "Extended Detail" on the instruments panel. This will show you the stack trace of each leaked object after you stop recording and select the leaked object.
You do see calls into the API, but what you are interested in is finding the last method of your application before the API calls, that is where the leak is.
A tip: turn on "gather memory contents" in the leaks view. Seeing the object values should also help finding where the problem is.
You don't want any leaks. 100 leaks is not typical (at least in my apps ;) Typical should be 0.
I'm not familiar with how to use Leaks, but you can always try running the Clang analyzer on your code to see if that'll turn anything up: http://clang.llvm.org/StaticAnalysis.html. It can often find many bugs that might lead to memory leaks.
Xcode: run -> Start with Performance Tool -> Leaks
Keep in mind that the Simulator may leak when the device will not. Ran into that once already with UITableViewController class.
Use LLVM/Clang Static Analyzer.
Note also that the leak tool is not going to show you instances where objects are over-retained and still held on to. Leaks are cases where objects that should have been let go are just hanging around with no-one to clean them up. Over retained objects are validly held onto even though you'd think they should be gone - thus the leak tool cannot point them out, since they are still referred to and there's no way to tell them apart from objects that should still be retained.
To find those, use the memory reporting tool and make sure that memory use goes down fully after you free an object. If you notice something isn't freeing memory, you can start by putting breakpoints in dealloc to see if what you expect to see released is actually getting released.
You need to look for both cases to keep a clean memory footprint.
Run -> Start with Performance Tool -> Leaks
To detect memory leaks you can use the "build and analyze" function of Xcode.
Simply select Build -> Build and Analyze in the Xcode menu.
Made a sum up of the main memory leak tools: http://bcaccinolo.wordpress.com/2010/09/15/iphone-essential-performance-tools-list/
Leaks application that can be found in Xcode: run -> Start with Performance Tool -> Leaks.
Apple’s Instruments utility that can be found in /Developer/Applications/Performance Tools.
One of the best way to find the memory leaks is Select Product-> Analyze. In the left Xcode shows in which file you have memory leaks. What are the variable causing memory leaks. This is one of the best way to find memory leaks.
The memory debugger (button just over the console, next to the view debugger) is quite useful too.
It will show you leaks, and you can check /filter easily if objects are still in memory when they shouldn't.