Checking memory allocation in Instruments

Question

I've cleared my app of leaks using the leaks tool, but I still notice that the objectalloc tool jumps up in the number of objects allocated and footprint when I switch views.

I'm especially seeing high numbers of:

GeneralBlock-16 with mostly Foundation responsible with caller NSLogv

and

GeneralBlock-0 with mostly QuartzCore responsible

Any tips on what I can do to further debug this?

Thanks!

Answer 1

The ObjectAlloc tool is designed to graph total object allocation over time, and it doesn't take deallocations into account. Essentially: it will always go up.

What you can do is look at the Net Bytes and # Net columns. These columns will adjust based on the number of objects you deallocate, and if you're concerned about total object allocation you can use these to gauge your program's performance.

You can take a look at this thread on the Apple Support forums - it deals more with what Instruments measures and how you can test your app.