Filtering Profiling Data

mBProfiler allows you to filter the displayed profiling data thus allowing you to analyse it on smaller portions. For example, you can examine the allocated memory only for the classes part of the java.util package. The fields where you can enter filters are located at the top of each table column of each view except for VM Telemetry.

Conventional Filters

You can define String and int filters. In this case, though the children of a node are filtered, the parent remains visible.

The String filters are case sensitive and are meant for all table columns that contain String values, like class and package. Respectively, the int filters are applicable to the columns holding int values, like size, diff size, etc.

There are two rules for defining Sting filters:

• To include in the view elements, that contain given strings, type the strings separated by interval.
• To exclude elements, type parts of their names preceded by an exclamation mark !.

Here is an example for a String filter: java util !lang

The result from applying this filter to the table will be that all classes from packages that start or contain the strings java and util in their names, will be displayed, but none of them will contain lang.

The int filters are defined in the following way:

• To find all entries matching a certain value, directly enter the corresponding value and within a second the filter will be applied.
• To include all entries greater than a certain value, use the ">" sign before the needed value. For example, ">6" will find will entries with value greater than "6".
• To include all entries that are less than a certain value, use the "<" sign before the needed value. For example, "<20" will locate all entries with value smaller than "20".
• To narrow the displayed entries to a certain interval, define a filter in the following format: k:l. For example "300:1000" will display all entries with values between "300" and "1000".

To save a filter in the history, press ENTER in its field.

By default, in the Memory Call Tree, CPU Call Tree, Bundles Memory Call Tree and Monitors, the filters are applied only to frames not to threads. In case you want to filter the threads, enter the thread: <thread_name> filter in the name column. For example, if you want to view only the main thread, enter thread:main in the name column.

For the Heap view, you can apply String and int filters only to the two topmost levels of the references tree. To narrow information from deeper levels, use filters of the type ref:<type> for the object column. For example, to view references of type java.lang.StringBuffer, apply the filter ref:StringBuffer.

Custom Filters

mBProfiler supports custom in-depth filters which operate on data deep within the model applied into the relevant profiling view.

By means of custom filters, you can quickly switch from one view (one model of data representation) to another with only information of interest remaining visible:

• Select a class from the Classes or Objects view and in the Memory Call Tree inspect only the call stacks where instances of the class are created.
• Locate into the Objects view the objects created by a method or frame selected in the Memory Call Tree or Memory Hot Spots.
• For OSGi profiling:
  • Select a bundle in the Bundles view and explore only its call stacks in the Memory Call Tree, Memory Hot Spots, CPU Call Tree or CPU Hot Spots views and the objects it has consumed in the Objects view.
  • Locate the call stacks in the CPU Call Tree or Memory Call Tree that match a particular loader path selected in the Bundles CPU Call Tree or in the Bundles Memory Call Tree.
  • Locate in the Bundles CPU Call Tree or Bundles Memory Call Tree the entry corresponding to the method or frame selected respectively in Memory CPU Tree or Memory Call Tree.

Custom filters have the custom filter: <filter> form and cannot be defined by the user but only internally by mBProfiler.