C#•8mo ago

✅ Compiler creates closure when it's not necessary?

I have this function here:

public static void Run<T>(Action<T> action, T parameter) => action(parameter);

public static void Run<T>(Action<T> action, T parameter) => action(parameter);

And then I'm using it like this:

MyObject obj = null;
Run(t => t.Item1.DoThing(t.Item2), (this, obj));

MyObject obj = null;
Run(t => t.Item1.DoThing(t.Item2), (this, obj));

But I have the "Heap Allocation Viewer" plugin installed in Rider, and it says it allocates a closure for the variable t? Even when I run my app, and debug the Run function, it seems to create a hidden class. Why does it do this, even though the Action isn't accessing any variables in the outer scope?

22 Replies

WEIRD FLEX•8mo ago

apart from this?

br4kejet•8mo ago

EVen if I don't use a tuple as the parameter, and just pass "this", it still says closure allocation

jcotton42•8mo ago

that's being passed as a parameter, it's not used in the lambda

WEIRD FLEX•8mo ago

should the compiler know?

jcotton42•8mo ago

erm, yes? the compiler does capture analysis to know what to include in the closure

br4kejet•8mo ago

jcotton42•8mo ago

plug that code into sharplab and look at the decompile maybe?

WEIRD FLEX•8mo ago

but it's passing through a layer which would be action(parameter)

br4kejet•8mo ago

https://sharplab.io/#v2:EYLgxg9gTgpgtADwGwBYA+ABATARgLABQGAzAATakDCpA3oaQ+WRiqQLIAUAlLfY/wCUArgDsOCUgF4AfORwBOcVwA0pAEQQA1mq4BuPgwC+B0iZJyk5VsJEAeACrSOGHFgeyAhmAAuASwgiqvakAA4eUB4AtjDeMFA8MqRefgEcYRHRsfH6BIZAA===

SharpLab

C#/VB/F# compiler playground.

br4kejet•8mo ago

Even in release too

jcotton42•8mo ago

oh, I think I see what it's doing it's caching look at the invocation line

Run(<>c.<>9__0_0 ?? (<>c.<>9__0_0 = new Action<string>(<>c.<>9.<M>b__0_0)), "ok");

Run(<>c.<>9__0_0 ?? (<>c.<>9__0_0 = new Action<string>(<>c.<>9.<M>b__0_0)), "ok");

basically it's making sure the Action is only ever allocated once per the app's life instead of every time M is called

jcotton42•8mo ago

now look what happens if you make one of them a proper closure https://sharplab.io/#v2:EYLgxg9gTgpgtADwGwBYA+ABATARgLABQGAzAATakDCpA3oaQ+WRiqQLIAUGOADKQM4BKWvUZiASgFcAdhwSkAvAD5yOAJwchAGlIAiCAGtdggNyixDKbPnLVGhIJ36jp8xatzFK7vcd7DxmYEYgC+bm4kqkjkrFYAPAAqSlw4WIkqAIZgAC4AlhDSOgmkAA4ZUBkAtjDZMFDCtll5BRxlFdW19UEhQA

SharpLab

C#/VB/F# compiler playground.

jcotton42•8mo ago

also does the same for method groups https://sharplab.io/#v2:EYLgxg9gTgpgtADwGwBYA+ABATARgLABQGAzAATakDCpA3oaQ+WRiqQLIAUGOADKQM4BKWvUZiASgFcAdhwSkAvAD5yOAJwchAGlIAiCAGtdggNyixDKbPnLVGhIJ36jp8xatzFK7vcd7DxmYEFowePk4BrsGMAL5ubiSqSOSsVgA8ACpKXDhYmSoAhmAALgCWENI6GaQADgVQBQC2MMUwUMK2RWUVHHUNza3tQTFAA= @carrotther

SharpLab

C#/VB/F# compiler playground.

br4kejet•8mo ago

I guess the plugin is giving the warning for the wrong reason then? Even in the IL viewer it doesn't seem to create a closure class... probably should have looked at that first

jcotton42•8mo ago

yeah

br4kejet•8mo ago

I get the caching of the action though

jcotton42•8mo ago

        Run(x => Console.WriteLine(s), "ok");
        Run(x => Console.WriteLine(x), "ok");
        Run(x => Console.WriteLine(x), "ok");
        Run(Console.WriteLine, "ok");

        Run(x => Console.WriteLine(s), "ok");
        Run(x => Console.WriteLine(x), "ok");
        Run(x => Console.WriteLine(x), "ok");
        Run(Console.WriteLine, "ok");

becomes

        <>c__DisplayClass0_0 <>c__DisplayClass0_ = new <>c__DisplayClass0_0();
        <>c__DisplayClass0_.s = s;
        Run(new Action<string>(<>c__DisplayClass0_.<M>b__0), "ok");
        Run(<>c.<>9__0_1 ?? (<>c.<>9__0_1 = new Action<string>(<>c.<>9.<M>b__0_1)), "ok");
        Run(<>c.<>9__0_2 ?? (<>c.<>9__0_2 = new Action<string>(<>c.<>9.<M>b__0_2)), "ok");
        Run(<>O.<0>__WriteLine ?? (<>O.<0>__WriteLine = new Action<string>(Console.WriteLine)), "ok");

        <>c__DisplayClass0_0 <>c__DisplayClass0_ = new <>c__DisplayClass0_0();
        <>c__DisplayClass0_.s = s;
        Run(new Action<string>(<>c__DisplayClass0_.<M>b__0), "ok");
        Run(<>c.<>9__0_1 ?? (<>c.<>9__0_1 = new Action<string>(<>c.<>9.<M>b__0_1)), "ok");
        Run(<>c.<>9__0_2 ?? (<>c.<>9__0_2 = new Action<string>(<>c.<>9.<M>b__0_2)), "ok");
        Run(<>O.<0>__WriteLine ?? (<>O.<0>__WriteLine = new Action<string>(Console.WriteLine)), "ok");

only the first one that captures s actually incurs a new allocation on every call of M the rest are a one-time cost

333fred•8mo ago

These types of warnings are notoriously hard to get right

br4kejet•8mo ago

Hm in my actual code, it actually does seem to create an instance of one of those DisplayClass things

jcotton42•8mo ago

side note, since you're here @333fred, why are they called display classes?

333fred•8mo ago

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

br4kejet•8mo ago

Nvm i was misreading the IL code, It's storing that cached action in a display class instance. newobj only gets called twice at the start, then only once afterwards which is the ValueTuple At least my attempts to make this app run faster weren't a total waste

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✅ Compiler creates closure when it's not necessary?