WoWInterface - Frame:Show() increases memory usage on each toggle?

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Frame:Show() increases memory usage on each toggle?

Hi Guys,

I wanted to implement a grid toggle, I started with the vertical lines and tried it out.
Here the code, it is quite simple:

Lua Code:

LybrialAnchors = LybrialUI:NewModule("Lybrial Anchors");
 
local LybrialAnchors = LybrialAnchors;
 
LybrialAnchors.grid = nil;
 
-- Initialize Addon
function LybrialAnchors:OnInitialize()
end
 
-- Get Options
function LybrialAnchors:GetOptions()
    return {
        toggleGrid = {
            type = "toggle",
            order = 1,
            name = "Toggle Grid",
            set = function(_, value)
                self:ToggleGrid(value);
            end,
            width = "full"
        },
    };
end
 
function LybrialAnchors:ToggleGrid(toggle)
    if (toggle) then
        if (not self.grid) then
            print("Create Grid");
 
            self:CreateGrid();
        else
            print("Show Grid");
 
            self.grid:Show();
        end
    else
        print("Hide Grid");
 
        self.grid:Hide();
    end
end
 
function LybrialAnchors:CreateGrid()
    if (not self.grid) then
        self.grid = CreateFrame("Frame", "Grid", UIParent);
        self.grid:SetFrameStrata("BACKGROUND");
    end
 
    local steps = 128;
    local width, height = UIParent:GetSize();
    local widthStep = (width / steps);
 
    self.grid:SetPoint("CENTER", UIParent);
    self.grid:SetSize(width, height);
    self.grid:Show();
 
    self:CreateVerticalLines(steps, widthStep);
end
 
function LybrialAnchors:CreateVerticalLines(steps, widthStep)
    for i = 0, steps do
        local region = self.grid:CreateTexture();
        region:SetColorTexture(0, 0, 0);
        region:SetDrawLayer("BACKGROUND", 0);
        region:ClearAllPoints();
        region:SetPoint("TOPLEFT", self.grid, "TOPLEFT", (i * widthStep), 0);
        region:SetPoint("BOTTOMRIGHT", self.grid, "BOTTOMLEFT", (i * widthStep), 0);
    end
end

Let me click the toggle input 5 times. The output is:

Code:

Create Grid

Hide Grid

Show Grid

Hide Grid

Show Grid

So as you can see the first time I enable the toggle the grid is getting created. After that the grid frame
is only showing or hiding. So it should work exactly as I want it to work.

But the problem is: On each `self.grid:Show()` the memory usage of my addon is increasing.
I toggled 50 times and my addon memory usage was increased by 25 MB.

I dont understand why a `Show()` on an already existing `Frame` is increasing memory usage.
Anything anyone can tell me about that?

In GetOptions you create a new array and a new function everytime.
So for every refresh of your options panel you see an increase in memory usage.
Most of it should be returned when garbage collect is run.

Hi,

and with "refresh" you mean that when I click the toggle input the whole thing gets refreshed?
From my understanding the options panel is created only once when the addon is getting initialized.
I mean thats the whole thing behind Ace options and Ace config dialogue.

Not sure 100% but add a print to your function and see how often its called ... esp when a value is changed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rilgamon (Post 333075)

Not sure 100% but add a print to your function and see how often its called ... esp when a value is changed.

Lua Code:

function LybrialAnchors:GetOptions()
    print("get options");
 
    return {
        toggleGrid = {
            type = "toggle",
            order = 1,
            name = "Toggle Grid",
            set = function(_, value)
                print("value changed: ", value);
 
                self:ToggleGrid(value);
            end,
            width = "full"
        },
    };
end

Code:

get options

value changed: true

Create Grid

value changed: false

Hide Grid

value changed: true

Show Grid

value changed: false

Hide Grid

value changed: true

Show Grid

Seems to be fine.

true, now you know the "problem" is not in the displayed code.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rilgamon (Post 333077)

true, now you know the "problem" is not in the displayed code.

The displayed code is the only code. I removed / disabled anything else to find the root of that issue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lybrial (Post 333072)

Lua Code:

function LybrialAnchors:CreateVerticalLines(steps, widthStep)
    for i = 0, steps do
        local region = self.grid:CreateTexture();
        region:SetColorTexture(0, 0, 0);
        region:SetDrawLayer("BACKGROUND", 0);
        region:ClearAllPoints();
        region:SetPoint("TOPLEFT", self.grid, "TOPLEFT", (i * widthStep), 0);
        region:SetPoint("BOTTOMRIGHT", self.grid, "BOTTOMLEFT", (i * widthStep), 0);
    end
end

You are creating new vertical lines each time that code is called. Currently they are all stacked on top of each other so you can't tell but if you change steps or widthStep you will be able to tell.

You need to reuse lines or create new ones as needed and hide the ones that are not in use if you end up with extras. You can see an example of this in GraphPaper (note: versions 1.4.10 and prior use CreateTexture as you are using here and version 1.4.11 uses the newer CreateLine).

How should this create new vertical lines over and over again when it is only called once?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lybrial (Post 333081)

How should this create new vertical lines over and over again when it is only called once?

My mistake. I only looked at the last two functions and saw you checking if the grid already existed but not the lines.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vrul (Post 333082)

My mistake. I only looked at the last two functions and saw you checking if the grid already existed but not the lines.

Dont worry. This would be the very obvious memory killer :)

Like I said, the "problem" is probably somewere else...ace3?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rilgamon (Post 333084)

Like I said, the "problem" is probably somewere else...ace3?

Holy moly. I was wrong. I tried the prints in `GetOptions` again. I dont know
what I did before but now it prints it everytime when I do something, like clicking
the toggle button:

Code:

get options

value changed: true

Create Grid

get options

value changed: false

Hide Grid

get options

value changed: true

Show Grid

get options

value changed: false

Hide Grid

get options

value changed: true

Show Grid

Seems like to be the expected behaviour. Garbage collector cleans it up. But still a bit annoying.

Cool, so just create the table and function once outside :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rilgamon (Post 333087)

Cool, so just create the table and function once outside :)

Yep, this I will do. Thank you, you were right from the very beginning ;)

No, I just had a guess ;) I'm never sure when it comes to the tables of ace3 ... there is so much "magic" in this :P