go-memory-visualizer

The go-memory-visualizer is a VS Code extension designed for real-time visualization and optimization of Go struct memory layout. It provides developers with a powerful tool to analyze struct padding, alignment, and cache performance in their Go code. By highlighting wasteful padding and offering one-click field reordering, it helps reduce memory usage and improve performance. The extension provides inline annotations showing memory details for each field, such as byte offsets, size calculations, alignment requirements, and padding detection. It also features color-coded warnings for excessive padding and cache line boundary detection.

The tool supports automatic field reordering by alignment and size, preserving comments and struct tags, and works with nested and embedded structs. Users can export memory layout reports to JSON, Markdown, or CSV, making it ideal for documentation, code reviews, and performance audits. The extension supports multiple architectures, including amd64, arm64, and 386, allowing users to see how pointer sizes affect layout.

Installation is straightforward, either from the VS Code Marketplace or by building from source. The extension's optimization algorithm extracts fields, calculates current layout, sorts by alignment and size, and recalculates layout to show potential savings. It supports advanced features like nested struct support, embedded field handling, and export of memory layout reports. With comprehensive documentation and a robust testing suite, go-memory-visualizer is a valuable tool for any Go developer looking to optimize their code's memory efficiency.