# vm_snapshot_analysis

This package provides libraries and a utility for analysing the size and
contents of Dart VM AOT snapshots based on the output of
`--print-instructions-sizes-to`, `--write-v8-snapshot-profile-to` and
`--trace-precompiler-to` VM flags.

## AOT Snapshot Basics

Dart VM AOT snapshot is simply a serialized representation of the Dart VM
heap graph. It consists of two parts: data (e.g. strings, `const` instances,
objects representing classes, libraries, functions and runtime metadata) and
executable code (machine code generated from Dart sources). Some nodes in this
graph have clean and direct relationship to  the original program (e.g. objects
representing libraries, classes, functions), while other nodes don't. Bitwise
equivalent objects can be deduplicated and shared (e.g. two functions with the
same body will end up using the same machine code object). This makes
impossible to attribute of every single byte from the snapshot to a particular
place in the program with a 100% accuracy.

* `--print-instructions-sizes-to` attributes _executable code_ from the snapshot
to a particular Dart function (or internal stub) from which this code
originated (ignoring deduplication). Executable code usually constitutes around
half of the snapshot, those this varies depending on the application.
* `--write-v8-snapshot-profile-to` is a graph representation of the snapshot,
it attributes bytes written into a snapshot to a node in the heap graph. This
format covers both data and code sections of the snapshot.
* `--trace-precompiler-to` gives information about dependencies between
compiled functions, allowing to determine why certain function was pulled into
the snapshot.

### Passing flags to the AOT compiler

Both in `dart2native` and Flutter you can use `--extra-gen-snapshot-options` to
pass flags to the AOT compiler:

```console
$ flutter build aot --release --extra-gen-snapshot-options=--write-v8-snapshot-profile-to=profile.json

$ dart2native --extra-gen-snapshot-options=--write-v8-snapshot-profile-to=profile.json -o binary input.dart
```

Similarly with `--print-instructions-sizes-to`.

If you are working on the Dart SDK you can use the `pkg/vm/tool/precompiler2`
script, in which case you can just pass these flags directly:

```console
$ pkg/vm/tool/precompiler2 --write-v8-snapshot-profile-to=profile.json input.dart binary
```

## CLI

The command line interface to the tools in this package is provided by a single
entry point `bin/analyse.dart`. It consumes output of
`--print-instructions-sizes-to` and `--write-v8-snapshot-profile-to` flags and
presents it in different human readable ways.

This script can be installed globally as `snapshot_analysis` using

```console
$ pub global activate vm_snapshot_analysis
```

`snapshot_analysis` supports the following subcommands:

### `summary`

```console
$ snapshot_analysis summary [-b granularity] [-w filter] <input-profile.json>
```

This command shows breakdown of snapshot bytes at the given `granularity` (e.g.
`method`, `class`, `library` or `package`), filtered by the given substring
`filter`.

For example, here is a output showing how many bytes from a snapshot
can be attributed to classes in the `dart:core` library:

```console
$ pkg/vm/bin/snapshot_analysis.dart summary -b class -w dart:core profile.json
+-----------+------------------------+--------------+---------+----------+
| Library   | Class                  | Size (Bytes) | Percent | Of total |
+-----------+------------------------+--------------+---------+----------+
| dart:core | _Uri                   |        43563 |  15.53% |    5.70% |
| dart:core | _StringBase            |        28831 |  10.28% |    3.77% |
| dart:core | ::                     |        27559 |   9.83% |    3.60% |
| @other    |                        |        25467 |   9.08% |    3.33% |
| dart:core | Uri                    |        14936 |   5.33% |    1.95% |
| dart:core | int                    |        12276 |   4.38% |    1.61% |
| dart:core | NoSuchMethodError      |        12222 |   4.36% |    1.60% |
...
```

Here objects which can be attributed to `_Uri` take `5.7%` of the snapshot,
at the same time objects which can be attributed to `dart:core` library
but not to any specific class within this library take `3.33%` of the snapshot.

This command also supports _estimating_ cumulative impact of a library or a
package together with its dependencies - which can be computed from
a precompiler trace (generated by adding
`--trace-precompiler-to=path/to/trace.json` to `--extra-gen-snapshot-options=`).

```console
$ snapshot_analysis summary [-b granularity] [-w filter] [-s dep-tree-start-depth] [-d dep-tree-display-depth] --precompiler-trace=<input-trace.json> <input-profile.json>
```
For example:

```console
$ snapshot_analysis summary -b package /tmp/profile.json
+-----------------------------+--------------+---------+
| Package                     | Size (Bytes) | Percent |
+-----------------------------+--------------+---------+
| package:compiler            |      5369933 |  38.93% |
| package:front_end           |      2644942 |  19.18% |
| package:kernel              |      1443568 |  10.47% |
| package:_fe_analyzer_shared |       944555 |   6.85% |
...
$ snapshot_analysis summary -b package -s 1 -d 3 --precompiler-trace=/tmp/trace.json /tmp/profile.json
+------------------------------+--------------+---------+
| Package                      | Size (Bytes) | Percent |
+------------------------------+--------------+---------+
| package:compiler (+ 8 deps)  |      5762761 |  41.78% |
| package:front_end (+ 1 deps) |      2708981 |  19.64% |
| package:kernel               |      1443568 |  10.47% |
| package:_fe_analyzer_shared  |       944555 |   6.85% |
...
Dependency trees:

package:compiler (total 5762761 bytes)
├── package:js_ast (total 242490 bytes)
├── package:dart2js_info (total 101280 bytes)
├── package:crypto (total 27434 bytes)
│   ├── package:typed_data (total 11850 bytes)
│   └── package:convert (total 5185 bytes)
├── package:collection (total 15182 bytes)
├── package:_js_interop_checks (total 4627 bytes)
└── package:js_runtime (total 1815 bytes)

package:front_end (total 2708981 bytes)
└── package:package_config (total 64039 bytes)
```


### `compare`

```console
$ snapshot_analysis compare [-b granularity] <old.json> <new.json>
```

This command shows comparison between two size profiles, allowing to understand
changes to which part of the program contributed most to the change in the
overall snapshot size.

```console
$ pkg/vm/bin/snapshot_analysis.dart compare -b class old.json new.json
+------------------------+--------------------------+--------------+---------+
| Library                | Class                    | Diff (Bytes) | Percent |
+------------------------+--------------------------+--------------+---------+
| dart:core              | _SimpleUri               |        11519 |  22.34% |
| dart:core              | _Uri                     |         6563 |  12.73% |
| dart:io                | _RandomAccessFile        |         5337 |  10.35% |
| @other                 |                          |         4009 |   7.78% |
...
```

In this example `11519` more bytes can be attributed to `_SimpleUri` class in
`new.json` compared to `old.json`.

### `treemap`

```console
$ snapshot_analysis treemap [--format <format>] <input.json> <output-dir>
$ google-chrome <output-dir>/index.html
```

This command generates treemap representation of the information from the
profile `input.json` and stores it in `output-dir` directory. Treemap can
later be viewed by opening `<output-dir>/index.html` in the browser of your
choice.

`--format` flag allows to control granularity of the output when `input.json`
is a V8 snapshot profile, available options are:
* `collapsed` essentially renders `ProgramInfo` as a treemap, individual
snapshot nodes are ignored.
* `simplified` same as `collapsed`, but also folds size information from
nested functions into outermost function (e.g. top level function or a
method) producing easy to consume output.
* `data-and-code` collapses snapshot nodes based on whether they represent
data or executable code.
* `object-type` (default) collapses snapshot nodes based on their type only.

### `explain`

#### `explain dynamic-calls`

```console
$ snapshot_analysis explain dynamic-calls <profile.json> <trace.json>
```

This command generates a report listing dynamically dispatched selectors
and their approximate impact on the code size.

```console
snapshot_analysis explain dynamic-calls /tmp/profile.json /tmp/trace.json
+------------------------------+--------------+---------+----------+
| Selector                     | Size (Bytes) | Percent | Of total |
+------------------------------+--------------+---------+----------+
| set:requestHeader            |        10054 |  28.00% |    0.03% |
| get:scale                    |         3630 |  10.11% |    0.01% |
...
Dynamic call to set:requestHeader (retaining ~10054 bytes) occurs in:
    package:my-super-app/src/injector.dart::Injector.handle{body}

Dynamic call to get:scale (retaining ~3630 bytes) occurs in:
    package:some-dependency/src/image.dart::Image.==
```

## API

This package can also be used as a building block for other packages which
want to analyse VM AOT snapshots.

* `package:vm_snapshot_analysis/instruction_sizes.dart` provides helpers to
read output of `--print-instructions-sizes-to=...`
* `package:vm_snapshot_analysis/v8_profile.dart` provides helpers to read
output of `--write-v8-snapshot-profile-to=...`

Both formats can be converted into a `ProgramInfo` structure which attempts
to breakdown snapshot size into hierarchical representation of the program
structure which can be understood by a Dart developer, attributing bytes
to packages, libraries, classes and functions.

* `package:vm_snapshot_analysis/utils.dart` contains helper method
`loadProgramInfo` which automatically detects format of the input JSON file
and creates `ProgramInfo` in an appropriate way, allowing to write code
which works in the same way with both formats.

## Precompiler Trace Format (`--write-precompiler-trace-to=...`)

AOT compiler can produce a JSON file containing information about compiled
functions and dependencies between them. This file has the following structure:

```json
{
    "trace": traceArray,
    "entities": entitiesArray,
    "strings": stringsArray,
}
```

- `stringsArray` is an array of strings referenced by other parts of the trace
by their index in this array.
- `entitiesArray` is an flattened array of entities:

    - `"C", <library-uri-idx>, <class-name-idx>, 0` - class record;
    - `"V", <class-idx>, <name-idx>, 0` - static field record;
    - `"F"|"S", <class-idx>, <name-idx>, <selector-id>` - function record (`F` for dynamic functions and `S` for static functions);

  Note that all records in this array occupy the same amount of elements (`4`)
  to make random access by index possible.

- `traceArray` is an flattened array of precompilation events:

    - `"R"` - root event (always the first element)
    - `"E"` - end event (always the last element)
    - `"C", <function-idx>` - function compilation event

  Root and function compilation events can additionally be followed by a
  sequence of references which enumerate outgoing dependencies discovered
  by the AOT compiler:

    - `<entity-idx>` - a reference to a function or a static field;
    - `"S", <selector-idx>` - a dynamic call with the given selector;
    - `"T", <selector-id>` - dispatch table call with the given selector id;

*Flattened array* is an array of records formed by consecutive elements:
`[R0_0, R0_1, R0_2, R1_0, R1_1, R1_2, ...]` here `R0_*` is the first record
and `R1_*` is the second record and so on.

## Features and bugs

Please file feature requests and bugs at the [issue tracker][tracker].

[tracker]: https://github.com/dart-lang/sdk/issues