Question

I have a MS-Visual Studio 2005 workspace having all c code. This application(exe) allocates memory dynamically from heap using malloc and realloc. I want to calculate the maximum size allocated size allocated on heap using malloc/realloc by this application program when i run particular test case.

I do not want to change the code by noting the malloc sizes and accumulating them, because:

a) there can be a scenario, that some memory of 1KB is malloc’ed, then freed, and then a memory of 2KB is malloc’ed. So max is 2KB, which i need to get as the value and not 1+2=3KB.

So i have to really see whereall malloc/free is happening in this code and add code for this, which i want to avoid.

1) So are there any tools(freeware/licensed) to find size of maximum or total memory allocated dynamically using malloc/realloc?

2)Does MS Visual Studio 2005/2008 itself provide anything of this sort?

thanks,

-AD

Answer 1

Memory Validator can do this.

There are several different reports that you will find useful:

• Running Totals. This is presented as a dialog box and provides current, cumulative and total values for each of the main memory allocator (C runtime, HeapAlloc, LocalAlloc, GlobalAlloc, CoTaskMemAlloc, etc).

• Objects. This is one of the main tabs and displays object type, size, count, cumulative.
  Also subtabs for per-thread and per-dll values.

• Sizes. This is one of the main tabs and displays size, count, cumulative.
  Also subtabs for per-thread and per-dll values.

• Virtual. This displays a graphical view of memory (one pixel == one page of memory) and has subtabs showing detailed virtual memory data for virtual memory pages and virtual memory paragraphs.

Full disclosure: I am part of the Memory Validator team.