This document discusses various tools for analyzing and optimizing Android application performance and resource usage. It describes how to reduce APK size by minimizing assets, code size, and using expansion files. Memory analysis tools discussed include DDMS Heap View, Allocation Tracker, and Eclipse MAT. Performance can be analyzed using DDMS, Systrace, and native code profilers. Graphics performance is best optimized by reducing overdraw and draw calls, which can be measured using the Overdraw Visualizer and Tracer for OpenGL.

1. Of Bytes, Cycles and Battery Life

2. Who am I?
[2]
[1]
@badlogicgames
http://www.badlogicgames.com

3. What i‘ll talk about
• How to reduce your APK size
• Memory Analysis Tools
• Performance Analysis Tools

4. How to reduce your APK size
• Reduce asset size
– pngcrush your PNGs [3]
– SVG (YMMV) [4]
– lower bit-rates for audio
• Reduce code size
– Remove unnecessary dependencies!
– Proguard, for Class files [5] [6]
– Dexguard, for Dex files [7]

5. „But i can‘t reduce my APK size“
• Multiple-APKs to the „rescue“ [8]
–
–
–
–
One APK per screen density
One APK per texture compression algorithm
Use Google Play filters
Easier with new Android Gradle build system
• APK Expansion files [9]
– hosted by Google
• Roll your own „Expansion files“
– Avoid if you can!

6. Memory Analysis Tools
• „But we have a Garbage Collector!“
– You can still „leak“ memory
– Nasty static vars referencing unused objects
– Hidden object references
– Native memory allocated by Java classes
• If you write games, GC kills your steady
framerate

7. DDMS [10] Heap View

8. DDMS Allocation Tracker

9. HPROF/Eclipse MAT [11]
•
•
•
•
Select the process
Click
Save to a location of your choice
Convert to „real“ HPROF file
• Open in Eclipse MAT [12]

10. HPROF/Eclipse MAT

11. HPROF/Eclipse MAT

12. HPROF/Eclipse MAT

13. Performance Analysis Tools
• Why do we want to analyse?
– Jerky animations
– Do less, conserve battery
– Better user Experience
• What do we want to analyse?
– Time spent in Java code
– Time spent in Native code
– Time spent drawing stuff

14. Before we start...
• Never use the emulator!
– Ever, think of the kittens
• Identify hotspots in your app, not in
microbenchmarks
• Only spend time if you have a real problem

15. Java Profilers
• DDMS
– Quite capable method level profiler
– Good enough for 99% of use cases
– Works with any Android version
• 4.1+ Profiling tools
– Systrace [13], More powerful, also tracks OS calls
• Needs root and Android 4.1+
– We‘ll check out the graphical parts later

16. DDMS
•
•
•
•
Start app
Navigate to problematic activity, hit
Wait a bit, hit
View profiling data
– Ignore absolute time, only care for relative timings
– Ignore trivial getters/setters, instrumentation messes
with timings

17. DDMS

18. Native Code Profilers
• Android NDK Profiler [14]
– Not an official NDK tool
– Setup a bit involved
• Device specific CPU profilers
– NVIDIA Nsight [15], ...
• Roll your own
– Instrument manually
– Track down hotspots

19. Graphics Profilers
• What do we analyse?
– Overdraw, your biggest enemy
– Draw calls, your second biggest enemy
• Use DDMS/systrace
– Related to memory
• Textures on VRAM (which is usually RAM)
• Bitmaps in RAM

20. Graphics Profilers
• 4.1+ Profiling tools
• GPU Vendor Specific
– NVIDIA [16], Qualcomm [17], Imagination
Technologies [18]
– Outside of scope of this talk

21. Visualize Overdraw [19]

22. Visualize Overdraw
•
•
•
•
•
Normal Color – 0 Overdraw
Blue – 1x Overdraw
Green – 2x Overdraw
Light Red – 3x Overdraw
Dark Red – +4x Overdraw

23. Visualize Overdraw
• Hierarchy View [20]
• Window -> Open Perspective -> Other...

24. Visualize Overdraw

25. Visualize Overdraw
•
•
•
•
•
Tracer for OpenGL [21]
Window -> Open Perspective -> Other ...
Click
Enter package name
Wait

26. Visualize Overdraw

27. Visualize Overdraw

28. Closing Words
• So much to tell, so little time
• See Dalvik Performance Tips [22]
• Read all references
– Your users will thank you for excellent battery life
and buttery smooth UIs

29. FIN
Thanks for Listening
Questions?

30. References
[1] http://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Android-Games-Mario-Zechner/dp/1430246774
[2] http://libgdx.badlogicgames.com/
[3] http://pmt.sourceforge.net/pngcrush/
[4] https://code.google.com/p/svg-android/
[5] http://developer.android.com/tools/help/proguard.html
[6] http://proguard.sourceforge.net/index.html
[7] http://www.saikoa.com/dexguard
[8] http://developer.android.com/google/play/publishing/multiple-apks.html
[9] http://developer.android.com/google/play/expansion-files.html
[10] http://developer.android.com/tools/debugging/ddms.html
[11] http://android-developers.blogspot.co.at/2011/03/memory-analysis-for-android.html

31. References
[12] http://www.eclipse.org/mat/
[13] http://developer.android.com/tools/help/systrace.html
[14] https://code.google.com/p/android-ndk-profiler/
[15] http://www.nvidia.com/object/nsight.html
[16] https://developer.nvidia.com/tegra-profiler
[17] https://developer.qualcomm.com/mobile-development/mobile-technologies/gaming-graphics-optimization-adreno/toolsand-resources
[18] http://www.imgtec.com/powervr/insider/sdkdownloads/
[19] http://www.curious-creature.org/2012/12/01/android-performance-case-study/
[20] http://developer.android.com/tools/debugging/debugging-ui.html
[21] http://developer.android.com/tools/help/gltracer.html
[22] http://developer.android.com/training/articles/perf-tips.html