Memory Profiling & Resource Safeguards
DevDiff is optimized for a minimal memory footprint, ensuring it runs efficiently alongside memory-heavy IDEs (VS Code, WebStorm, Android Studio), Docker containers, compilers, and browser dev tools.
DevDiff enforces a strict 256MB RAM ceiling in VS Code and 512MB RAM cap across CLI monorepo tasks.
Memory Architecture & Heap Control
Memory Performance Standards & Features
1. 256MB / 512MB RAM Hard Cap
- VS Code Extension Limit:
IDEGuardianmonitors process RSS memory and enforces a 256MB RAM ceiling for background task processes. - CLI Monorepo Limit: Large repository indexing caps heap allocation at 512MB RAM.
- Automatic Heap Recycling: If heap usage approaches 80% of the cap, DevDiff flushes active AST caches and triggers Node.js garbage collection (
global.gc()).
2. Stream-Based AST Parsing
- DevDiff never loads entire multi-gigabyte source trees into V8 heap memory.
- File diffs and AST nodes are processed via Node.js streams (
ReadableStream), reading chunks sequentially and discarding parsed buffers immediately.
3. Idle Detection & Process Timeout Guard
- 5s Typing Idle Detection: Background index updates pause automatically when active typing is detected in VS Code, preventing CPU/RAM spikes during active coding.
- 120s Timeout Guard: Long-running background operations time out safely after 120 seconds, preventing runaway background worker tasks.
Memory Profiling Benchmark Data
| Workspace Scale | Total Repository Size | File Count | Peak Heap Memory | Peak RSS Memory | GC Pauses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small Repository | 15 MB | 120 files | 34 MB | 68 MB | 0 |
| Medium Monorepo | 180 MB | 1,200 files | 82 MB | 145 MB | 1 |
| Large Monorepo | 1.2 GB | 5,400 files | 168 MB | 214 MB | 3 |