massive mem build up

[Grimsin]

So i noticed that my UI builds up mem usage every step you take and continues to do so till it hits some sort of garbage dump threshold and then starts over. Its primarily as you move. SO i think it has to do with my minimap and the coordinates. Can someone take a look at this and tell me maybe whats happening here and why its building so much mem up constantly? Is this normal? lol.

local module = GrimUI:RegisterModule("MiniMap")
-- Minimap
 
Minimap:ClearAllPoints() 
Minimap:Show()
Minimap:SetPoint("BOTTOM", UIParent, 0, 11) 
Minimap:SetHeight(132) 
Minimap.SetHeight = GrimUI.Dummy 
Minimap:SetBackdropBorderColor(nil, nil, nil, nil) 
Minimap.SetBackdropBorderColor = GrimUI.Dummy 
Minimap:SetMaskTexture([[Interface\AddOns\!GrimUI\Art\Masks\Mask-SQUARE]]) 
Minimap.ClearAllPoints = GrimUI.Dummy 
Minimap.SetPoint = GrimUI.Dummy
Minimap.Hide = GrimUI.Dummy 
Minimap.SetWidth = GrimUI.Dummy 
Minimap.SetMaskTexture = GrimUI.Dummy
Minimap:SetScale(0.95)
Minimap:EnableMouseWheel(true)
Minimap:SetScript("OnMouseWheel", function(self, arg1)
    if(arg1 < 0) then
        Minimap_ZoomIn()
    else
        Minimap_ZoomOut()
    end
    end)
MinimapCluster:ClearAllPoints()
MinimapCluster:SetPoint("BOTTOM", UIParent, 0, 11)
MinimapCluster:SetHeight(2)
MinimapCluster.SetPoint = GrimUI.Dummy
MinimapCluster.SetHeight = GrimUI.Dummy
 
Minimap:SetScript("OnMouseUp", function(self, btn)
        if btn == "RightButton" then
            if ( WorldMapFrame:IsVisible() ) then
                HideUIPanel(WorldMapFrame);
            else
                ShowUIPanel(WorldMapFrame);
            end
        elseif btn == "MiddleButton" then
            _G.ToggleDropDownMenu(1, nil, _G.MiniMapTrackingDropDown, self)
        else
            _G.Minimap_OnClick(self)
        end
    end)
 
-- Start Cords Frame
 
local GUICordsFrame = CreateFrame('Button', "GUICordsFrame", UIParent)
GUICordsFrame:SetPoint("BOTTOM", UIParent, "BOTTOM", 0, 0)
GUICordsFrame:SetHeight(11)
GUICordsFrame:SetWidth(80)
GUICordsFrame:RegisterForClicks('LeftButtonUp', 'RightButtonUp')
 
GUICordsFrame:RegisterEvent("MINIMAP_ZONE_CHANGED")
GUICordsFrame:RegisterEvent("ZONE_CHANGED")
GUICordsFrame:RegisterEvent("ZONE_CHANGED_INDOORS")
GUICordsFrame:RegisterEvent("ZONE_CHANGED_NEW_AREA")
GUICordsFrame.elapsed = 1
 
local GUICordsFrameBG = GUICordsFrame:CreateTexture(nil, "BACKGROUND")
GUICordsFrameBG:SetTexture(0, 0, 0, .8)
GUICordsFrameBG:SetAllPoints(GUICordsFrame)
 
local GUICordsFrameText = GUICordsFrame:CreateFontString(nil, "OVERLAY", "GameFontNormalSmall")
GUICordsFrameText:SetPoint("CENTER", GUICordsFrame, "CENTER", 0, 1)
GUICordsFrameText:SetTextColor(1, 1, 1, 1)
GUICordsFrameText:SetFont("Fonts\\FRIZQT__.TTF", 10, "NORMAL")
GUICordsFrameText:SetJustifyH("CENTER")
 
GUICordsFrame:SetScript("OnUpdate", function(self)
    local x,y = GetPlayerMapPosition("player")
    if (x == 0) and (y == 0) and not IsInInstance() then
        SetMapToCurrentZone()
        local x,y = GetPlayerMapPosition("player")
    end
    GUICordsFrameText:SetText(format("%.2f  %.2f", 100*x, 100*y))
    end)
 
 
GUICordsFrame:SetScript("OnEvent", function(self)
    if not WorldMapFrame:IsVisible() then
        SetMapToCurrentZone()
    end
end)

[Shadowed]

It's due to all the junk strings you're creating, for one instead of:

GUICordsFrameText:SetText(format("%.2f  %.2f", 100*x, 100*y))

do

GUICordsFrameText:SetFormattedText("%.2f  %.2f", 100*x, 100*y)

And you should really throttle the updates to once every 0.20s-0.50s.

[Rilgamon]

Originally Posted by Grimsin GUICordsFrame:SetScript("OnUpdate", function(self) local x,y = GetPlayerMapPosition("player") if (x == 0) and (y == 0) and not IsInInstance() then SetMapToCurrentZone() local x,y = GetPlayerMapPosition("player") end GUICordsFrameText:SetText(format("%.2f %.2f", 100*x, 100*y)) end)

You could move the vars. So they are reused.

local x,y
GUICordsFrame:SetScript("OnUpdate", function(self)
	x,y = GetPlayerMapPosition("player")
	if (x == 0) and (y == 0) and not IsInInstance() then
		SetMapToCurrentZone()
		x,y = GetPlayerMapPosition("player")
	end
	GUICordsFrameText:SetText(format("%.2f  %.2f", 100*x, 100*y))
	end)

[Grimsin]

Originally Posted by Shadowed It's due to all the junk strings you're creating, for one instead of: GUICordsFrameText:SetText(format("%.2f %.2f", 100*x, 100*y)) do GUICordsFrameText:SetFormattedText("%.2f %.2f", 100*x, 100*y) And you should really throttle the updates to once every 0.20s-0.50s.

not exactly sure how to throtel it back and the explanation on wowwiki is in xml... or partly anyhow.

[Rilgamon]

Originally Posted by Grimsin not exactly sure how to throtel it back and the explanation on wowwiki is in xml... or partly anyhow.

OnUpdate is called with (self,elapsed). elapsed is the time since the last update.

local e = 0
local delay = .2
local function onupdate(self,elapsed)
  e = e + elapsed
  if e > delay then
    [... your stuff ...]
    e = 0
  end
end

[Grimsin]

changed it to read

local UpdateInterval = 0.5
local TimeSinceLastUpdate = 0 
local x,y

GUICordsFrame:SetScript("OnUpdate", function(self, elapsed)
	
	TimeSinceLastUpdate = TimeSinceLastUpdate + elapsed
	
	while (TimeSinceLastUpdate > UpdateInterval) do
	
	x,y = GetPlayerMapPosition("player")
	if (x == 0) and (y == 0) and not IsInInstance() then
		SetMapToCurrentZone()
	end
	
	GUICordsFrameText:SetText(format("%.2f  %.2f", 100*x, 100*y))
	
	TimeSinceLastUpdate = TimeSinceLastUpdate - UpdateInterval
	end
	end)


GUICordsFrame:SetScript("OnEvent", function(self)
	if not WorldMapFrame:IsVisible() then
		SetMapToCurrentZone()
	end
end)

[Rilgamon]

Originally Posted by Grimsin changed it to read

And ? Does it improve your memory usage ?

[Saiket]

Shadowed's solution is the only one that will work. Those two local variables won't affect memory usage at all the way you originally had it, since they get popped off the stack once the function returns.

Your memory usage keeps going up because like Shadowed said, every time you move to a new X,Y coordinate you generate a new string:
"80.20 20.53"
"80.21 20.52"
"80.21 20.51"
"80.22 20.50"

Lua only allocates memory for a string if it's unique though, so while you stand in place and your coordinates don't change, your memory usage quits going up.

WoW added the FontString:SetFormattedText method specifically to avoid this problem with garbage strings. When you use it, the text never gets allocated into Lua's string table.

[Slakah]

Originally Posted by Saiket WoW added the FontString:SetFormattedText method specifically to avoid this problem with garbage strings. When you use it, the text never gets allocated into Lua's string table.

Didn't know that, that's pretty nifty.

[Grimsin]

okay so i changed the formated text part, what your saying is it should not do the mem inc at all with that changed? i did the change to the update intervals and that reduced the speed of course at which it was increasing but...

[Grimsin]

that sure appears to be the case after some testing. so i can bump the update speed back up to get a more accurate coord output then correct? and not see the mem inc?

[Grimsin]

does appear to be the case? although i do have some sort of slow mem build up still somewhere and really should not be. it happens while standing still even lol didnt notice it before because the coords issue made it jump so much but yea standing still it incs slowly but surely.

[Shadowed]

Originally Posted by Grimsin does appear to be the case? although i do have some sort of slow mem build up still somewhere and really should not be. it happens while standing still even lol didnt notice it before because the coords issue made it jump so much but yea standing still it incs slowly but surely.

You're always going to have some increase in memory, you can't really avoid that unless your code does nothing. The reason you reduce the time between updates is to create the amount of strings you create, if you really wanted you could not update the string at all if player coords hasn't changed. What you're creating is called garbage memory and the garbage collect will gradually collect the memory you create. As long as you aren't creating a ton of it you don't have to worry.