C/C++ Memory Graph for VS Code
Bring the powerful, real-time memory profiling graphs of Visual Studio directly into your Visual Studio Code environment. Designed specifically for C/C++ developers who want an instantaneous, zero-configuration diagnostic tool to detect memory leaks and monitor footprint trends during active debug sessions.
Works flawlessly on ZorinOS / Linux, macOS, and Windows.
📸 Preview
Featuring a sleek, theme-adaptive dark UI, precise point-hover columns, customizable sampling, and automated panel lifecycle controls.
🌟 Key Features
Instantaneous Feedback: Catch memory leaks visually the second they occur by watching your heap slope over time instead of waiting to run a heavy external profiler.
True Cross-Platform Support: Relies on robust, platform-native metrics abstracted elegantly for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Zero Configuration Integration: Automatically pops open alongside your code editor the moment you launch a C++ debug session.
High-Performance Rendering: Uses Chart.js for extremely efficient rendering that keeps resource overhead minimal, leaving your machine's power dedicated to compiling and running your code.
Theme-Adaptive Aesthetics: Automatically detects your active VS Code color palette to draw grid lines, labels, and legends that match your workspace perfectly.
Customizable Sampling Rates: Toggle between Fast (100ms), Normal (500ms), and Slow (1000ms) intervals on-the-fly to adapt to your debugging depth.
Smart Lifespans: Optional "Close graph when debug ends" setting to clean up your workspace automatically when the process terminates.
🛠 Supported Debuggers
The extension dynamically intercepts the Debug Adapter Protocol (DAP) process events. Out of the box, it supports the leading C++ debugging frameworks:
🏗 Architecture & Separation of Concerns
This extension was designed with robust architectural boundaries to prevent memory leaks in the IDE and ensure snappy UI rendering:
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Extension Host (Node.js/Backend) │
│ - Listens to Debug Adapter (DAP) Events │
│ - Hooks OS Process ID (PID) via 'pidusage' │
│ - Manages Polling Intervals │
└─────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┘
│ (Secure Webview postMessage IPC)
▼
┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Isolated Frontend Webview (HTML5) │
│ - Completely sandboxed from OS/Filesystem │
│ - Renders UI controls & reactive state │
│ - Plots metrics using Chart.js on Canvas │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
🚀 Getting Started (Development Mode)
If you are building the extension from source, follow these quick steps:
Prerequisites
Node.js installed on your machine.
A C++ compiler setup (GCC on ZorinOS/Linux, Clang on macOS, MSVC on Windows).
Setup and Running
- Clone this repository to your local workspace:
git clone https://github.com/your-username/cpp-mem-graph.git
cd cpp-mem-graph
- Install dependencies:
npm install
- Open the project in VS Code:
code .
Press F5 to open a new Extension Development Host window.
In the new window, open any C/C++ workspace and start debugging your application (F5). The C/C++ Memory Graph panel will slide open right beside your editor!
⚙ How to Use
Auto-Launch: Simply start your standard C/C++ debug configuration. The tool detects the program start and triggers automatically.
Manual Launch: You can also trigger the graph manually at any time using the Command Palette:
Customize Sampling: Change how frequently the process memory is polled by using the Sampling Rate dropdown at the top. The extension remembers your preferred selection across sessions!
Auto-Cleanup: Check Close graph when debug ends to automatically tear down the visualizer when your target program exits.
📄 License
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
