Memory Leakage Testing Using Chrome Heap Snapshot Tool

Table of Contents

• What is a Memory Leak?
• Types of Memory Leaks
• Why Use Chrome Heap Snapshot?
• Steps to Use Chrome Heap Snapshot
• Example: Detecting a Memory Leak
• Advantages of Using Chrome Heap Snapshot
• Disadvantages of Using Chrome Heap Snapshot
• Tips for Effective Memory Leak Testing
• Conclusion

What is Memory Leakage?

Memory leakage points a finger to a situation where a program allocates memory but fails to release it when it is no longer required which leads to a waste of resources and causes errors.

Types of Memory Leaks

Let's understand the various types of memory leakages, and how to identify them and fix them more effectively:

• Global Variable Leaks: This occurs when the global variables are not correctly cleaned up and lead to memory being occupied unnecessarily.
• Event Listener Leaks: This occurs when event listeners have been added but not removed, which causes a memory to be kept occupied even after the event is not required.
• Closures: These types of leaks can occur when closures retain references to variables that are not required, which prevents garbage from being collected.
• DOM Leaks: These types of leaks occur when DOM elements are not removed, leading to a memory being occupied even after the elements are not in use now.
• Timer Leaks: This happens when timers (e.g., setTimeout, setInterval) are not cleared, which causes a memory to be occupied unnecessarily.

Why Use Chrome Heap Snapshot?

Chrome browser includes a various set of tools for debugging and profiling web applications. The Heap Snapshot tool facilitates record and analysis of the memory usage of your application to make it easier to identify memory leakages.

Steps to Use Chrome Heap Snapshot

- Open Chrome DevTools: To open Chrome DevTools, press ‘F12’ 

Or ‘Ctrl+Shift+I’ in Windows/Linux systems

And ‘Cmd+Opt+I’ in Mac systems to open Chrome DevTools.

- Select Memory: Select the ‘Memory’ tab from DevTools.

- Take a Heap Snapshot: Click on the ‘Take snapshot’ button to capture the current state of memory usage.

- Analyze the Snapshot: The user can analyze it to find memory leaks. Users can look for objects that are still in memory, but they should have been garbage collected.

- Compare Snapshots: Users take multiple snapshots at different points and compare them to check how memory usage changes over time. This can help identify objects that are not being released from memory properly.

Example: Detecting a Memory Leak

• Simulate a Memory Leak: Find a simple web application that leaks memory. For example, you might have to look for a function that adds event listeners without removing them.
• Take Initial Snapshot: Open your web application in Chrome and go to the Memory tab. Take an initial heap snapshot.
• Perform in the Application: Perform such actions in the application that would trigger the memory leak to occur.
• Take some more Snapshots: Perform additional heap snapshots after performing in the application.
• Compare Snapshots: Compare the initial and subsequent snapshots to find the objects that are not being released from memory.

Advantages of Using Chrome Heap Snapshot

• Detailed Analysis: It gives a detailed view of memory used and helps to pinpoint memory leaks accurately.
• Integration with DevTools: It integrates with other Chrome DevTools, which makes it comfortable to switch between different debugging tools.
• Free to Use: Available to everyone for free with Chrome, which makes it accessible to all developers.
• Real-time Monitoring: The Heap tool allows you to monitor memory usage and helps you in finding the leaks as they occur.

Disadvantages of Using Chrome Heap Snapshot

• Steep Learning Curve: It can be complicated for a new person to understand and use effectively.
• Performance Overhead: Taking snapshots repetitively can introduce performance overhead, specifically in large applications.
• Manual Process: Requires manual method to take snapshots and analyze them, which is a time-consuming process.
• Limited to Chrome: This tool is only available in Chrome, which is not ideal for testing applications in other browsers.

Tips for Effective Memory Leak Testing

• Use Real-World Scenarios: Test your application under conditions that can copy real user actions and use them.
• Automating the User Actions: The user can use the automated testing tools to copy the user's actions and capture heap snapshots.
• Constant Monitoring: Users can regularly monitor the application’s memory usage over time to find memory leaks at an early stage.

Conclusion

Memory leakages are challenging to troubleshoot and fix them. But tools like Chrome Heap Snapshot make troubleshooting more convenient for the software testing company. Following the steps mentioned above, users can find and fix memory leakages in web applications. Which can ensure a smooth and more reliable user experience in web applications.

About Author

Hardik Mochi started his testing journey in October 2015 as a Junior Software Tester, and now he is an Associate Team Lead at PixelQA. With a focus on testing mobile apps, Windows applications, and web portals in the RX and CG domains, Hardik developed strong software testing skills. Progressing to Senior Tester over 5.5 years, he transitioned to XDuce India PVT LTD, specializing in ETL testing and acquiring SQL expertise, complemented by earning the AZ-900 certification. He is eager to delve into automation while maintaining interests in electronic hardware, current affairs, and geopolitics, aiming to advance as an automation professional in the future.