original file name: Codeium Chat - UUX7yZo5rqzOzYjfM2KlQJHIsTfPGAn9.md summary: The chat conversation revolved around a user seeking assistance on changing the state of a character in a game to switch between Idle and Run actions based on specific time intervals. The user encountered issues with updating the state at the correct intervals and facing potential performance problems.

Suggestions were provided to adjust the logic in the game loop, handle state updates asynchronously using setState, and debug issues such as breakpoints not being hit and potential performance bottlenecks.

The user also sought guidance on logging messages at specific intervals and encountered challenges due to the asynchronous nature of state updates in React. Recommendations were given to use class properties for non-render-triggering state variables to ensure immediate updates without relying on setState.

Note: This is purely the output of the chat conversation and does not contain any raw data, codebase snippets, etc. used to generate the output.

User at 9:46 am, Jun 2, 2024

Please help me analyze TerminalGame and the CharacterActionComponent items it instantiates to figure out how to change the state of a character.

I would like to change the state of the Hero character to have the Idle currentActionType every 200 frames and then switch back to Run after 20 frames. I'm not sure if frames is the right time interval to be using, but whatever is most appropriate from the game context. I think frame might actually be the sprite animation context. I want the Hero to go Idle about every 5 seconds for about 2 seconds.

If you have any advice on setting up an official game clock module or component, I would like to know that too.

Codeium at 9:46 am, Jun 2, 2024

To change the state of the Hero character to Idle every 200 frames and then switch back to Run after 20 frames, you need to adjust the logic in the loop function within TerminalGame.tsx:TerminalGame.startAnimationLoop. Since frames in this context refer to the sprite animation frames, you'll want to use a time-based approach to switch the Hero character's action every 5 seconds for approximately 2 seconds.

To achieve this, you could use a combination of a game time counter and the requestAnimationFrame loop to manage the time intervals. You could introduce a new state property to keep track of the game time in milliseconds and update this every time the loop runs. Once 5 seconds have elapsed, you could change the Hero action to Idle, and after another 2 seconds, switch it back to Run.

Here's a rough example of how you might adjust the loop function:

// Add new state properties for game timing
interface ITerminalGameState {
  // ... existing properties
  gameTime: number; // in milliseconds
  idleStartTime: number | null; // in milliseconds
}

// Inside your TerminalGame class
constructor(props: ITerminalGameProps) {
  super(props);
  this.state = {
    // ... existing state initialization
    gameTime: 0,
    idleStartTime: null,
  };
}

startAnimationLoop(context: CanvasRenderingContext2D) {
  const loop = (timestamp: number) => {
    // ... existing loop code
    const deltaTime = timestamp - this.state.gameTime;
    this.setState({ gameTime: timestamp });

    if (this.state.idleStartTime === null && deltaTime >= 5000) {
      // Switch to Idle after 5 seconds
      this.setState({ heroAction: 'Idle', idleStartTime: timestamp });
    } else if (
      this.state.idleStartTime !== null &&
      timestamp - this.state.idleStartTime >= 2000
    ) {
      // Switch back to Run after 2 seconds of being Idle
      this.setState({ heroAction: 'Run', idleStartTime: null });
    }

    // ... rest of the existing loop code
    this.animationFrameIndex = requestAnimationFrame(loop);
  };

  this.animationFrameIndex = requestAnimationFrame(loop);
}

To set up an official game clock module or component, you could create a new class or React component that encapsulates the game timing logic. This module would be responsible for tracking the elapsed game time and could provide methods to start, stop, and reset the clock. The game clock could then be integrated with your TerminalGame class to control the timing of various game events, including character state changes.

A simple game clock module might look something like this:

class GameClock {
  private startTime: number;
  private currentTime: number;
  private running: boolean;

  constructor() {
    this.startTime = 0;
    this.currentTime = 0;
    this.running = false;
  }

  start() {
    if (!this.running) {
      this.startTime = Date.now();
      this.running = true;
    }
  }

  stop() {
    if (this.running) {
      this.currentTime = this.getTime();
      this.running = false;
    }
  }

  reset() {
    this.startTime = Date.now();
    this.currentTime = 0;
  }

  getTime() {
    if (this.running) {
      return Date.now() - this.startTime;
    }
    return this.currentTime;
  }
}

You could then instantiate the GameClock within your TerminalGame class and use it to control the game's timing events.

User at 11:20 am, Jun 2, 2024

The a breakpoint on code inside these if conditions never gets hit.

   if (this.state.idleStartTime === null && deltaTime >= 5000) {
    // Switch to Idle after 5 seconds
    this.setState({ heroAction: 'Idle', idleStartTime: timestamp });
   } else if (
    this.state.idleStartTime !== null &&
    timestamp - this.state.idleStartTime >= 2000
   ) {
    // Switch back to Run after 2 seconds of being Idle
    this.setState({ heroAction: 'Run', idleStartTime: null });
   }

Codeium at 11:21 am, Jun 2, 2024

If your breakpoints inside the if conditions are not being hit, it may be due to several reasons:

1. State is not being updated as expected: There might be an issue with how deltaTime is being calculated, or the conditions are not being met due to the values of this.state.idleStartTime and deltaTime. Ensure that this.state.gameTime is being updated correctly on each frame.

2. Loop function is not being called: If the loop function itself is not being called, the breakpoints inside it will not be hit. Verify that requestAnimationFrame(loop) is being called correctly.

3. Initial gameTime value: Make sure that this.state.gameTime is initialized properly, preferably in the constructor of the TerminalGame class.

4. Timestamps are incorrect: The timestamp parameter provided by requestAnimationFrame represents the time in milliseconds when the loop function was called to start the current animation frame. This value is relative to the time when requestAnimationFrame started running. Ensure this is the value you want to use for timing.

5. Asynchronous State Updates: this.setState is asynchronous. If you rely on the state being updated immediately after calling this.state, this could cause issues. You may need to use the callback form of this.setState to ensure the state has been updated before you rely on the new state values.

Here is a strategy to debug this issue:

1. Logging: Add console.log statements before the if conditions to log the values of gameTime, deltaTime, idleStartTime, and timestamp. This will help you determine if the conditions should be met and if the problem lies elsewhere.

2. Breakpoint in the loop: Set a breakpoint at the beginning of the loop function to ensure it's being called.

3. Check the state in render: Since setState triggers a re-render, you can add a console.log in the render method to log the current state and see if it's being updated.

4. Correct use of this.state: Make sure that you're not accidentally mutating this.state directly elsewhere in your code, which can lead to unexpected behavior.

5. Check the timestamp: Make sure the timestamp provided by requestAnimationFrame is being used as intended. If you need a different time reference, you might want to use Date.now() when you start the loop and calculate deltaTime based on that.

If you continue to face issues, you may need to provide more context or code for further analysis.

User at 11:53 am, Jun 2, 2024

I added this before the if conditions and after the setState

   if((deltaTime / 1000 ) % 1 === 0) {
    console.log("deltaTime2000", deltaTime, timestamp, this.state.gameTime.toLocaleString());
   }

I don't know if it is a React issue or something, but it only logged one time:

3TerminalGame.tsx:97 deltaTime2000 0 1102.426 1,102.426

Or maybe that is 3 times with the same info.

But then it stopped logging and I think the app is slowing down or lagging. There is some kind of performance issue from memory expanding or something being recalled too many times. I think I'm going to get a MaximumDepth error eventually.

Codeium at 11:53 am, Jun 2, 2024

The issue with the single log entry and the potential performance problem hint at a couple of potential issues:

1. setState and Asynchronous Updates: React batches state updates for performance reasons, and setState is asynchronous. If you're logging this.state.gameTime immediately after calling setState, it may not reflect the new state.

2. The Modulo Check: The condition (deltaTime / 1000 ) % 1 === 0 will only be true when deltaTime is exactly a multiple of 1000 milliseconds. Due to the nature of JavaScript's floating-point arithmetic and the timing of animation frames, this condition might not be met as expected.

3. Performance Bottleneck: If your application is slowing down, it's possible that there's a performance bottleneck somewhere in the loop. This could be due to excessive rendering or state updating.

To address these issues:

1. Use the setState Callback: To log the state after it has been set, use the callback form of setState:

this.setState({ gameTime: timestamp }, () => {
  console.log(this.state.gameTime);
});

2. Adjust the Modulo Condition: To log the deltaTime more reliably, consider changing the condition to check for a range rather than an exact match:

if (deltaTime >= 1000 && deltaTime % 1000 < 16.7) { // 16.7 milliseconds is roughly one frame at 60 FPS
  console.log("deltaTime1000", deltaTime, timestamp, this.state.gameTime.toLocaleString());
}

3. Investigate Performance Issues:

   • Use React.memo or shouldComponentUpdate to prevent unnecessary re-renders of components.
   • Check for any large or complex components that may be rendering more often than necessary.
   • Use Chrome DevTools or a similar profiler to identify slow parts of your application.
   • Ensure that you are not setting state within the render method or any other method that may cause recursive updates.

4. Handling Game State and Timing:

   • Rather than relying on deltaTime to be a specific value, use a running counter or timestamp to determine when to switch states.
   • Consider using a separate game loop for state updates and a rendering loop that's tied to requestAnimationFrame.

Lastly, to avoid the Maximum update depth exceeded error, ensure that you are not calling setState in a way that triggers additional updates in a loop or recursive manner. This typically happens when setState is called within the render method or within a setState callback that leads to a new state update that triggers the same setState call again.

User at 12:00 pm, Jun 2, 2024

How can I log this once and only once every 3 seconds?

  console.log("deltaTime1000", deltaTime, timestamp, this.state.gameTime.toLocaleString());

Codeium at 12:00 pm, Jun 2, 2024

To log a message once every 3 seconds, you can use an additional piece of state to track the last time the log occurred. Here's an example of how you can implement it:

1. Add a new state property to track the last log time:

interface ITerminalGameState {
  // ... existing properties
  lastLogTime: number; // in milliseconds
}

2. Initialize the lastLogTime state property in your constructor:

constructor(props: ITerminalGameProps) {
  super(props);
  this.state = {
    // ... existing state initialization
    lastLogTime: 0, // Set to 0 to log on the first occurrence
  };
}

3. Update the loop function to only log if 3 seconds have passed since the last log:

startAnimationLoop(context: CanvasRenderingContext2D) {
  const loop = (timestamp: number) => {
    // ... existing loop code

    // Calculate deltaTime using timestamp and gameTime
    const deltaTime = timestamp - this.state.gameTime;
    this.setState({ gameTime: timestamp });

    // Log once every 3 seconds (3000 milliseconds)
    if (timestamp - this.state.lastLogTime >= 3000) {
      console.log("deltaTime3000", deltaTime, timestamp, this.state.gameTime.toLocaleString());
      this.setState({ lastLogTime: timestamp }); // Update lastLogTime to the current timestamp
    }

    // ... rest of the existing loop code
    this.animationFrameIndex = requestAnimationFrame(loop);
  };

  this.animationFrameIndex = requestAnimationFrame(loop);
}

By updating lastLogTime to the current timestamp when you log, you ensure that the log will only happen once every 3 seconds.

Please note that requestAnimationFrame doesn't guarantee a call exactly every 3 seconds, rather it aims for the screen refresh rate (commonly 60 frames per second). The actual timing may vary slightly depending on the browser's workload and the screen's refresh rate.

User at 12:07 pm, Jun 2, 2024

I get results like this:

237TerminalGame.tsx:101 deltaTime 16.59999999999991 3015.4 2,998.8
587TerminalGame.tsx:101 deltaTime 16.699999999999818 6015.9 5,999.2
921TerminalGame.tsx:101 deltaTime 16.5 9016.2 8,999.7
1183TerminalGame.tsx:101 deltaTime 16.799999999999272 12016.3 11,999.5
1409TerminalGame.tsx:101 deltaTime 33.30000000000109 15033.2 14,999.9
1573TerminalGame.tsx:101 deltaTime 33.39999999999782 18050.1 18,016.7
1731TerminalGame.tsx:101 deltaTime 33.39999999999782 21050.3 21,016.9
1885TerminalGame.tsx:101 deltaTime 33.29999999999927 24050.5 24,017.2
2027TerminalGame.tsx:101 deltaTime 33.29999999999927 27050.8 27,017.5

Which means the console.log can be called as many as 2000 times before the state is updated. Is that true?

Codeium at 12:08 pm, Jun 2, 2024

The log output you're seeing is due to the asynchronous nature of setState. When you call console.log immediately after this.setState({ lastLogTime: timestamp }), the lastLogTime state may not be updated yet, because setState is asynchronous and React may batch multiple setState calls together for performance reasons.

In your current setup, the log message is being executed every time the animation frame runs, which is usually 60 times per second (approximately every 16.7 milliseconds), but the state update that would prevent the log from being called again for another 3 seconds is not necessarily applied immediately.

To ensure that the log only happens once every 3 seconds and the state is updated before logging, you can use the following approach:

1. Use a class property instead of state for lastLogTime because it doesn't need to trigger a re-render and can be updated synchronously.

2. Update the class property right before logging.

Here's how you could modify your code:

class TerminalGame extends React.Component {
  // ...
  private lastLogTime: number = 0; // Use a class property instead of state

  startAnimationLoop(context: CanvasRenderingContext2D) {
    const loop = (timestamp: number) => {
      // ...

      // Calculate deltaTime using the timestamp and gameTime
      const deltaTime = timestamp - this.state.gameTime;
      this.setState({ gameTime: timestamp });

      // Log once every 3 seconds (3000 milliseconds)
      if (timestamp - this.lastLogTime >= 3000) {
        console.log("deltaTime3000", deltaTime, timestamp, this.state.gameTime.toLocaleString());
        this.lastLogTime = timestamp; // Update lastLogTime synchronously
      }

      // ...
      this.animationFrameIndex = requestAnimationFrame(loop);
    };

    this.animationFrameIndex = requestAnimationFrame(loop);
  }

  // ...
}

By using a class property, you ensure the lastLogTime is updated immediately, and the log message will only be triggered once every 3 seconds as intended.

User at 12:12 pm, Jun 2, 2024

Could that also be true for the gameTime then?

Why use the state mechanism for a local clock when we could just use an instant-action local variable?

Codeium at 12:13 pm, Jun 2, 2024

Yes, the same principle applies to gameTime. If the timing mechanism doesn't need to trigger a re-render of the component, there is no need to store it in the component state. You can and should use regular class properties to manage such values when their changes do not need to be reflected in the UI, as this avoids unnecessary re-renders and keeps your component more performant.

Class properties are updated synchronously, making them a good fit for tracking things like lastLogTime and gameTime in a game loop. Here's how you could modify your code to use class properties for the game clock:

class TerminalGame extends React.Component {
  // ...
  private gameTime: number = 0; // Track gameTime as a class property
  private lastLogTime: number = 0; // Track lastLogTime as a class property

  startAnimationLoop(context: CanvasRenderingContext2D) {
    const loop = (timestamp: number) => {
      if (!this.gameTime) {
        this.gameTime = timestamp; // Initialize gameTime on the first animation frame
      }

      const deltaTime = timestamp - this.gameTime;
      this.gameTime = timestamp; // Update gameTime synchronously

      // Log once every 3 seconds (3000 milliseconds)
      if (timestamp - this.lastLogTime >= 3000) {
        console.log("deltaTime3000", deltaTime, timestamp);
        this.lastLogTime = timestamp; // Update lastLogTime synchronously
      }

      // ... rest of the existing loop code
      this.animationFrameIndex = requestAnimationFrame(loop);
    };

    this.animationFrameIndex = requestAnimationFrame(loop);
  }

  // ...
}

By using class properties, you're avoiding the overhead associated with state updates, which includes the potential for asynchronous updates and the re-render that happens with each state change. This is especially important in a game loop where performance is critical and you're updating these values potentially 60 times per second.

Remember, if you ever need to update the UI in response to changes in gameTime or another variable, that's when you should use state. If the value is only used internally for calculations and does not directly affect the rendered output, a class property is more suitable.

User at 12:21 pm, Jun 2, 2024

Can't we initialize gameTime on instantiation with something like this:

 private gameTime: number = Date.now();

Codeium at 12:21 pm, Jun 2, 2024

You could initialize gameTime with Date.now() on instantiation, but it may not be the best approach for an animation loop that relies on requestAnimationFrame. The value of gameTime is intended to be used in conjunction with the timestamps provided by requestAnimationFrame, which represent high-resolution, sub-millisecond monotonic timestamps, measured in milliseconds, accurate to one thousandth of a millisecond.

The timestamp from requestAnimationFrame is relative to the time the page started to load, which is different from the Unix epoch time given by Date.now(). This means that if you initialize gameTime with Date.now(), it will not be in sync with the timestamps provided by requestAnimationFrame.

Here's what you should consider:

1. If gameTime is only used within the animation loop and in conjunction with requestAnimationFrame, then it's best to initialize it to 0 and set it to the timestamp provided by requestAnimationFrame during the first call to your loop function. This ensures that gameTime is in sync with the frame timestamps.

2. If you want to track the actual time elapsed since the component was instantiated, regardless of when the animation loop starts, then you can initialize gameTime with Date.now() and use it independently from the requestAnimationFrame timestamps.

Here's an example of initializing gameTime for use with requestAnimationFrame:

class TerminalGame extends React.Component {
  // ...
  private gameTime: number = 0;

  startAnimationLoop(context: CanvasRenderingContext2D) {
    const loop = (timestamp: number) => {
      if (this.gameTime === 0) {
        this.gameTime = timestamp; // Initialize gameTime on the first animation frame
      }

      const deltaTime = timestamp - this.gameTime;
      // ... rest of the animation loop logic
      
      this.gameTime = timestamp; // Update gameTime for the next frame
      this.animationFrameIndex = requestAnimationFrame(loop);
    };

    this.animationFrameIndex = requestAnimationFrame(loop);
  }
  // ...
}

This ensures that gameTime accurately reflects the time since the animation loop started, which is useful for syncing animations, handling game logic based on elapsed time, and so on.

User at 12:31 pm, Jun 2, 2024

The first if condition here is still true and logs thousands of times a second.

   if (this.state.idleStartTime === null && deltaTime >= 5000) {
    // Switch to Idle after 5 seconds
    console.log("deltaTime5000", deltaTime);
    this.setState({ heroAction: 'Idle', idleStartTime: timestamp });
   } else if (
    this.state.idleStartTime !== null &&
    timestamp - this.state.idleStartTime >= 2000
   ) {
    // Switch back to Run after 2 seconds of being Idle
    this.setState({ heroAction: 'Run', idleStartTime: null });
   }

We want it to be true every 5 seconds.

Codeium at 12:31 pm, Jun 2, 2024

The issue you're facing is likely due to the deltaTime continuously increasing after the first 5 seconds have passed, causing the first condition to be true on every subsequent frame. Since you're not resetting deltaTime, it will always be greater than 5,000 milliseconds after the initial 5 seconds.

To fix this, you need to reset the deltaTime or change the logic so that it only triggers once every 5 seconds. Here's one way to modify your code:

class TerminalGame extends React.Component {
  // ...

  private lastActionChangeTime: number = 0; // Track the last time the hero's action changed

  startAnimationLoop(context: CanvasRenderingContext2D) {
    const loop = (timestamp: number) => {
      if (!this.gameTime) {
        this.gameTime = timestamp;
      }

      const deltaTime = timestamp - this.gameTime;
      this.gameTime = timestamp;

      if (this.state.heroAction === 'Run' && timestamp - this.lastActionChangeTime >= 5000) {
        // Switch to Idle after 5 seconds of running
        console.log("Switch to Idle", deltaTime);
        this.setState({ heroAction: 'Idle' });
        this.lastActionChangeTime = timestamp;
      } else if (this.state.heroAction === 'Idle' && timestamp - this.lastActionChangeTime >= 2000) {
        // Switch back to Run after 2 seconds of being Idle
        console.log("Switch to Run", deltaTime);
        this.setState({ heroAction: 'Run' });
        this.lastActionChangeTime = timestamp;
      }

      // ... rest of the existing loop code
      this.animationFrameIndex = requestAnimationFrame(loop);
    };

    this.animationFrameIndex = requestAnimationFrame(loop);
  }

  // ...
}

In this code:

• lastActionChangeTime is a class property that tracks the last time the hero's action state changed.
• When the hero has been running for 5 seconds (timestamp - this.lastActionChangeTime >= 5000), we switch the action to 'Idle' and update lastActionChangeTime.
• When the hero has been idle for 2 seconds (timestamp - this.lastActionChangeTime >= 2000), we switch the action back to 'Run' and update lastActionChangeTime again.

With this approach, the action change is based on the time elapsed since the last action change, which allows it to be true once every specified period (5 seconds or 2 seconds). This should prevent the condition from being true on every frame after the initial 5 seconds.

User at 1:02 pm, Jun 2, 2024

For the moment, just for this proof-of-concept, I am piggy-backing on lastLogTime like this:

   if (timestamp - this.lastLogTime >= 5000) {
    console.log("deltaTimeStamp", deltaTime, timestamp, this.gameTime);
    this.lastLogTime = timestamp;
    // Switch to Idle after 5 seconds
    console.log("deltaTime5000", deltaTime);
    this.setState({ heroAction: 'Idle', idleStartTime: timestamp });
   } else if (
    this.state.idleStartTime !== null &&
    timestamp - this.state.idleStartTime >= 2000
   ) {
    // Switch back to Run after 2 seconds of being Idle
    this.setState({ heroAction: 'Run', idleStartTime: null });
   }

With that in place, I can see two big issues.

1. The character animation never changes.
2. Something is causing increasing lagging performance. This may have existed before the recent changes. Something is causing the animation to become progressively slower.

I want to solve those two problems before coming back to your suggestion about lastActionChangeTime.

Codeium at 1:02 pm, Jun 2, 2024

Given the information and the issues you're facing, let's address them one by one:

If the hero's action state is changing in the component's state but the visual representation on the screen is not updating to reflect the new state, it may be due to the following:

• The rendering logic in your game loop might not be correctly linked to the hero's action state. Ensure that when you update the hero's action state, the rendering function for the hero uses this new state to determine which animation to display.
• If your hero character's animation logic is encapsulated within its own class (like Hero), you might need to explicitly call a method on this class to change its animation state when you update the React component's state.

Performance issues, where things slow down over time, often point to memory leaks or intensive processing that accumulates or fails to release resources over time. Here are some common causes and debugging steps:

• Memory Leaks: Ensure that all resources (like images, audio, or intervals) are properly cleaned up. For instance, if you're using requestAnimationFrame, you should have a corresponding cancelAnimationFrame in the component's componentWillUnmount lifecycle method.
• Expensive Operations in the Loop: Check for any computationally expensive operations inside the game loop. These should be optimized or moved outside the loop if possible.
• State Updates: Frequent state updates can cause performance issues due to re-rendering. Make sure you're not updating the state more often than necessary.
• Browser DevTools Profiler: Use the profiler to find functions that are taking a long time to complete or that are being called more often than they should.

To diagnose and fix these issues, I recommend the following steps:

1. Verify Animation Update Logic:

   • Check how the Hero's animation state is managed. There should be a clear linkage between the component's state and the visual rendering of the character.
   • Confirm that when you call this.setState({ heroAction: 'Idle' }), the Hero's rendering logic uses the updated heroAction to change the animation.

2. Investigate Performance Issues:

   • Use the componentWillUnmount lifecycle method to clean up any ongoing processes when the component unmounts, like canceling animation frames.
   • Profile your application with the Chrome DevTools Performance tab to find what's causing the slowdown.
   • Look for increasing numbers in the heap snapshot over time to identify memory leaks.

Here's an example of cleanup logic using cancelAnimationFrame:

componentWillUnmount() {
  if (this.animationFrameIndex) {
    cancelAnimationFrame(this.animationFrameIndex);
  }
}

Once you've addressed these issues, you should hopefully see an improvement in performance and the character animation should reflect the current state. If these problems persist, you might need to share more specific details of your implementation for further analysis.

User at 1:18 pm, Jun 2, 2024

I am using this code now:

   if (timestamp - this.lastLogTime >= 5000) {
    console.log("deltaTimeStamp", deltaTime, timestamp, this.gameTime);
    this.lastLogTime = timestamp;
    // Switch to Idle after 5 seconds
    this.setState({ heroAction: 'Idle', idleStartTime: timestamp });
    console.log("deltaTime5000", deltaTime, this.state.heroAction);
   } else if (
    this.state.idleStartTime !== null &&
    timestamp - this.state.idleStartTime >= 2000
   ) {
    // Switch back to Run after 2 seconds of being Idle
    this.setState({ heroAction: 'Run', idleStartTime: null });
    console.log("deltaTime2000", deltaTime, this.state.heroAction);
   }

And I am getting this output:

70TerminalGame.tsx:110 deltaTime2000 6534.104 Idle
TerminalGame.tsx:99 deltaTimeStamp 9534.304 10004 469.696
TerminalGame.tsx:103 deltaTime5000 9534.304 Run
125TerminalGame.tsx:110 deltaTime2000 11534.304 Idle
TerminalGame.tsx:99 deltaTimeStamp 14534.504 15004.2 469.696
TerminalGame.tsx:103 deltaTime5000 14534.504 Run
180TerminalGame.tsx:110 deltaTime2000 16534.904 Idle
TerminalGame.tsx:99 deltaTimeStamp 19535.204 20004.9 469.696
TerminalGame.tsx:103 deltaTime5000 19535.204 Run
236TerminalGame.tsx:110 deltaTime2000 21535.404 Idle
TerminalGame.tsx:99 deltaTimeStamp 24535.904 25005.6 469.696
TerminalGame.tsx:103 deltaTime5000 24535.904 Run
290TerminalGame.tsx:110 deltaTime2000 26552.304 Idle
TerminalGame.tsx:99 deltaTimeStamp 29536.304 30006 469.696
TerminalGame.tsx:103 deltaTime5000 29536.304 Run
344TerminalGame.tsx:110 deltaTime2000 31552.804 Idle
TerminalGame.tsx:99 deltaTimeStamp 34536.304 35006 469.696
TerminalGame.tsx:103 deltaTime5000 34536.304 Run
398TerminalGame.tsx:110 deltaTime2000 36536.804 Idle
TerminalGame.tsx:99 deltaTimeStamp 39536.804 40006.5 469.696
TerminalGame.tsx:103 deltaTime5000 39536.804 Run
452TerminalGame.tsx:110 deltaTime2000 41537.304 Idle
TerminalGame.tsx:99 deltaTimeStamp 44537.104 45006.8 469.696
TerminalGame.tsx:103 deltaTime5000 44537.104 Run
506TerminalGame.tsx:110 deltaTime2000 46537.304 Idle
TerminalGame.tsx:99 deltaTimeStamp 49537.903999999995 50007.6 469.696
TerminalGame.tsx:103 deltaTime5000 49537.903999999995 Run

And what I notice is two things:

1. The this.state.heroAction is changing.
2. The lag time, the number of logged items indicated in front of TerminalGame.tsx:110, is steadily increasing. That is a measure of whatever lag is building up.

Codeium at 1:19 pm, Jun 2, 2024

From the log output, it's clear that the heroAction state is changing as expected, which is a good sign. However, the increasing number of logged items and the fact that the timestamps do not increase by exactly 5000 or 2000 each time indicate that there might be drift in your timing logic or performance issues.

Here are some insights and steps to address the performance problem:

1. Timestamp Drift: The increasing lag time could be due to timestamp drift. The actual call time of requestAnimationFrame may vary slightly from frame to frame, leading to small discrepancies that accumulate over time. To counteract this, you might need to adjust your timing logic to account for the drift.

2. Performance Issues: The increasing lag could also be a symptom of performance issues. If your application's workload for each frame is increasing over time or if there are memory leaks, the time to process each frame could grow, causing the animation and logic updates to slow down.

To diagnose and address these issues:

• Review Animation Logic: Ensure that the logic responsible for updating the animation state of the hero is efficient and does not cause re-renders unnecessarily. For example, if the hero's animation is a component, ensure it's only re-rendered when necessary.

• Check for Memory Leaks: Use browser development tools to take heap snapshots at different times and compare them to see if memory usage is steadily increasing. Look for objects that should have been garbage collected but are still being retained.

• Profile the Application: Use the Performance tab in browser dev tools to profile your application and identify bottlenecks.

• Optimize State Updates: Minimize calls to setState as they can be expensive. In your current logic, setState is called frequently. You might want to consider debouncing state updates or restructuring your state updates to be more efficient.

• Use Performance.now(): If you need a more accurate time measurement, consider using performance.now() instead of Date.now() or the timestamp from requestAnimationFrame, as it provides a high-resolution time measurement.

• Cleanup Resources: Make sure to clean up any resources that are no longer needed, such as event listeners, intervals, or timeouts.

Here is an example of how you might adjust your timing logic to account for drift:

class TerminalGame extends React.Component {
  private nextIdleTime: number = 5000; // Next time to switch to Idle
  private nextRunTime: number | null = null; // Next time to switch back to Run

  startAnimationLoop(context: CanvasRenderingContext2D) {
    const loop = (timestamp: number) => {
      if (!this.gameTime) {
        this.gameTime = timestamp; // Initialize gameTime on the first animation frame
      }
      const deltaTime = timestamp - this.gameTime;
      this.gameTime = timestamp; // Update gameTime for the next frame

      if (this.state.heroAction === 'Run' && timestamp >= this.nextIdleTime) {
        // Switch to Idle after 5 seconds
        this.setState({ heroAction: 'Idle' });
        this.nextRunTime = timestamp + 2000; // Set the next time to switch back to Run
      } else if (this.state.heroAction === 'Idle' && this.nextRunTime && timestamp >= this.nextRunTime) {
        // Switch back to Run after 2 seconds of being Idle
        this.setState({ heroAction: 'Run' });
        this.nextIdleTime = timestamp + 5000; // Set the next time to switch to Idle
        this.nextRunTime = null; // Reset nextRunTime
      }
      
      // ... rest of the existing loop code
      this.animationFrameIndex = requestAnimationFrame(loop);
    };

    this.animationFrameIndex = requestAnimationFrame(loop);
  }
  
  // ...
}

In this code, nextIdleTime and nextRunTime are class properties that store the next timestamps when the hero's action should change. This should help keep the timing more consistent by accounting for drift. Remember to clear these timeouts and other resources when the component unmounts to avoid memory leaks and other issues.

User at 1:58 pm, Jun 2, 2024

I am not too concerned with compensating for the lag time at the moment.

I am much more concerned with reducing or eliminating the lag time.

I would like to go through your siggestions in order.

The animation logic is split between the TerminalGame, the BaseCharacter and the CharacterActionComponent

Here is the TerminalGame

import React from 'react';
import { Zombie4 } from './Zombie4';
import { Hero } from './Hero';
import { CharacterActionComponent } from './CharacterActionComponent';
import { ActionType } from './types/ActionTypes';
import { Position } from './types/Position';

interface ITerminalGameProps {
 canvasHeight: string
 canvasWidth: string
 isInPhraseMode: boolean
}

interface ITerminalGameState {
 heroAction: ActionType;
 heroPosition: Position;
 zombieAction: ActionType;
 zombie4Position: Position;
 context: CanvasRenderingContext2D | null;
 idleStartTime: number | null; // in milliseconds
}

export class TerminalGame extends React.Component<ITerminalGameProps, ITerminalGameState> {
 private canvasRef = React.createRef<HTMLCanvasElement>();
 private gameTime: number = 0;
 private zombie4: Zombie4 | null = null;
 private hero: Hero | null = null;
 private animationFrameIndex?: number;
 private animationCount: number = 0;
 public context: CanvasRenderingContext2D | null = null;
 private lastLogTime: number = 0;
 private nextIdleTime: number = 5000; // Next time to switch to Idle
 private nextRunTime: number | null = null; // Next time to switch back to Run

 private drawHero?: (position: Position) => void;
 private drawZombie4?: (position: Position) => void;

 constructor(props: ITerminalGameProps) {
  super(props);
  this.state = {
   heroAction: 'Run',
   heroPosition: { leftX: 75, topY: 20 },
   zombieAction: 'Walk',
   zombie4Position: { leftX: 30, topY: 0 },
   context: null as CanvasRenderingContext2D | null,
   idleStartTime: null,
  };
 }

 componentDidMount() {
  this.setupCanvas();
 }

 componentDidUpdate(prevProps: Readonly<ITerminalGameProps>): void {
  if (!prevProps.isInPhraseMode !== this.props.isInPhraseMode) {
   const canvas = this.canvasRef.current;
   if (!canvas) return;
   const context = canvas.getContext('2d');
   if (!(context instanceof CanvasRenderingContext2D)) {
    console.error("Obtained context is not a CanvasRenderingContext2D instance.");
    return;
   }
   this.startAnimationLoop(context);
  }
  if (prevProps.isInPhraseMode && !this.props.isInPhraseMode) {
   this.stopAnimationLoop();
  }
 }

 setupCanvas() {
  const canvas = this.canvasRef.current;
  if (canvas) {
   const context = canvas.getContext('2d');
   if (context instanceof CanvasRenderingContext2D) {
    // Set the context in the state instead of a class property
    this.setState({ context: context });
    this.hero = new Hero(context, this.state.heroAction, this.state.heroPosition);
    this.zombie4 = new Zombie4(context, this.state.zombieAction, this.state.zombie4Position);
    // No need to pass context to startAnimationLoop, as it will use the context from the state
    this.startAnimationLoop(context);
   } else {
    console.error("Obtained context is not a CanvasRenderingContext2D instance.");
   }
  } else {
   console.error("Failed to get canvas element.");
  }
 }

 startAnimationLoop(context: CanvasRenderingContext2D) {
  // console.log("startAnimationLoop", this.state.context instanceof CanvasRenderingContext2D);

  // Use an arrow function to maintain the correct 'this' context
  const loop = (timestamp: number) => {

   if (!this.gameTime) {
    this.gameTime = timestamp; // Initialize gameTime on the first animation frame
   }

   const deltaTime = timestamp - this.gameTime;
   this.gameTime = timestamp; // Update gameTime for the next frame

   if (this.state.heroAction === 'Run' && timestamp >= this.nextIdleTime) {
    // Switch to Idle after 5 seconds
    this.setState({ heroAction: 'Idle' });
    this.nextRunTime = timestamp + 2000; // Set the next time to switch back to Run
   } else if (this.state.heroAction === 'Idle' && this.nextRunTime && timestamp >= this.nextRunTime) {
    // Switch back to Run after 2 seconds of being Idle
    this.setState({ heroAction: 'Run' });
    this.nextIdleTime = timestamp + 5000; // Set the next time to switch to Idle
    this.nextRunTime = null; // Reset nextRunTime
   }

   if (!this.state.context) {
    console.error("Context is not available");
    return; // Exit the loop if the context is not available
   }

   if (!this.state.context.canvas) {
    console.error("Canvas is not available");
    return; // Exit the loop if the canvas is not available
   }

   if (!this.zombie4) {
    console.error("zombie4 is not available");
    return; // Exit the loop if zombie4 is not available
   }
   if (!this.hero) {
    console.error("hero is not available");
    return; // Exit the loop if hero is not available
   }

   this.state.context?.clearRect(0, 0, context?.canvas.width, context?.canvas.height);

   if (this.drawHero) {
    this.drawHero(this.state.heroPosition);
   }
   if (this.drawZombie4) {
    this.drawZombie4(this.state.zombie4Position);
   }

   this.animationCount = this.animationCount < 200
    ? this.animationCount + 1
    : 0;

   // if (this.animationCount % 100 === 0) this.setState(
   //  { heroAction: this.state.heroAction === 'Run' ? 'Walk' : 'Run' }
   // );

   // console.log("animationCount: ", this.animationCount);
   // Save the request ID to be able to cancel it
   this.animationFrameIndex = requestAnimationFrame(loop);
  };

  // Start the animation loop
  this.animationFrameIndex = requestAnimationFrame(loop);
 }

 stopAnimationLoop() {
  if (this.animationFrameIndex) {
   cancelAnimationFrame(this.animationFrameIndex);
   this.animationFrameIndex = undefined;
   console.log("stopAnimationLoop");
  }
 }

 // Additional methods for calculating WPM, updating the progress bar, etc.
 render() {
  return (
   <>
    <canvas
     ref={this.canvasRef}
     width={this.props.canvasWidth}
     height={this.props.canvasHeight}>
    </canvas>
    {this.hero &&
     <CharacterActionComponent
      currentActionType={this.state.heroAction}
      baseCharacter={this.hero}
      position={this.state.heroPosition}
      onPositionChange={
       (newPosition) => this.setState({ heroPosition: newPosition })
      }
      onReady={(draw) => {
       this.drawHero = draw;
      }}
     />
    }
    {this.zombie4 &&
     <CharacterActionComponent
      currentActionType={this.state.zombieAction}
      baseCharacter={this.zombie4}
      position={this.state.zombie4Position}
      onPositionChange={
       (newPosition) => this.setState({ zombie4Position: newPosition })
      }
      onReady={(draw) => {
       this.drawZombie4 = draw;
      }}
     />
    }
   </>
  );
 }
}

Can you help me analyze this and identify any possible problems?

I am also currently working on the second item by taking memory snapshots over time.

Codeium at 1:59 pm, Jun 2, 2024

Analyzing the TerminalGame component, a few things stand out that could potentially lead to performance issues:

1. State Updates Inside Animation Loop The setState method is called inside the animation loop whenever the hero's action changes. Frequent state updates will trigger re-renders, which can be costly and unnecessary if they occur on every frame (or very frequently). Since the heroAction does not need to trigger a re-render every time it changes, consider using a class property to track it instead.

2. Context and Canvas Checks The checks for the context and canvas availability inside the animation loop are potentially redundant. These checks could be moved to the componentDidMount or setupCanvas methods to ensure they are only performed once when the component is mounted.

3. Passing Context via State The context is being stored in the component's state. If the canvas context doesn't change over the lifetime of the component, it's more efficient to store it as a class property to avoid potential unnecessary re-renders.

4. Redundant Canvas References There are multiple references to this.state.context.canvas inside the loop, which could be simplified.

5. Props Changes Handling The componentDidUpdate method handles changes in props, but it might not be necessary to start and stop the animation loop based on prop changes. Consider whether this logic is essential and if there's a way to simplify it.

6. Multiple Character Components Having separate CharacterActionComponent instances for each character (Hero and Zombie4) could lead to duplicate work, especially if they share similar logic. It might be beneficial to consolidate their logic if possible.

7. Rendering Logic The actual drawing of the characters is triggered via this.drawHero and this.drawZombie4, which are set by the onReady callback of CharacterActionComponent. Ensure that this pattern doesn't cause any unnecessary overhead or complexity.

Here are some suggestions to improve the performance:

• Optimize State Updates: Use class properties for values that don't need to trigger re-renders. For example, heroAction could be tracked as a class property if changing it does not need to update the component's UI.

• Simplify Context Checks: Ensure the canvas and context are only checked once and not on every iteration of the loop. Store them as class properties if they don't change.

• Clean Up Animation Loop: In componentWillUnmount, make sure to cancel the animation frame to prevent memory leaks.

• Optimize Character Components: Review the CharacterActionComponent to see if there's any unnecessary logic that runs on every frame or if there are opportunities to optimize the rendering.

Here's a revised approach for handling heroAction without triggering re-renders:

class TerminalGame extends React.Component {
  // ...

  private heroAction: ActionType = 'Run';  // Track hero's action as a class property

  // ...

  startAnimationLoop(context: CanvasRenderingContext2D) {
    const loop = (timestamp: number) => {
      // ...

      // Use local heroAction for checks
      if (this.heroAction === 'Run' && timestamp >= this.nextIdleTime) {
        this.heroAction = 'Idle';  // Update heroAction directly
        this.nextRunTime = timestamp + 2000;
        this.hero?.setAction(this.heroAction);  // Update the Hero instance with the new action
      } else if (this.heroAction === 'Idle' && this.nextRunTime && timestamp >= this.nextRunTime) {
        this.heroAction = 'Run';
        this.nextIdleTime = timestamp + 5000;
        this.nextRunTime = null;
        this.hero?.setAction(this.heroAction);  // Update the Hero instance with the new action
      }

      // ...

      // Render the hero with current action
      this.hero?.render();

      // ...
    };

    // ...
  }

  // ...
}

In this revised code, heroAction is a class property, and the Hero instance (this.hero) is updated with the new action. The Hero class should have a method like setAction to handle the action change, and render to draw the hero accordingly. This way, the UI does not re-render needlessly, but the hero's appearance updates based on the action.

Continue to monitor memory usage over time with heap snapshots. If you notice that memory usage grows and does not come back down, it could indicate a memory leak, which you'll want to investigate further.

User at 2:23 pm, Jun 2, 2024

This is printing nicely now.

   if (this.state.heroAction === 'Run' && timestamp >= this.nextIdleTime) {
    // Switch to Idle after 5 seconds
    this.setState({ heroAction: 'Idle' });
    console.log("heroAction", this.state.heroAction, "gameTime", this.gameTime, "timestamp", timestamp, "nextIdleTime", this.nextIdleTime);
    this.nextRunTime = timestamp + 2000; // Set the next time to switch back to Run
   } else if (this.state.heroAction === 'Idle' && this.nextRunTime && timestamp >= this.nextRunTime) {
    // Switch back to Run after 2 seconds of being Idle
    this.setState({ heroAction: 'Run' });
    console.log("heroAction", this.state.heroAction, "gameTime", this.gameTime, "timestamp", timestamp, "nextIdleTime", this.nextIdleTime);
    this.nextIdleTime = timestamp + 5000; // Set the next time to switch to Idle
    this.nextRunTime = null; // Reset nextRunTime
   }

heroAction Run gameTime 35006.6 timestamp 35006.6 nextIdleTime 35006.2
TerminalGame.tsx:94 heroAction Idle gameTime 37006.6 timestamp 37006.6 nextIdleTime 35006.2
TerminalGame.tsx:89 heroAction Run gameTime 42007.1 timestamp 42007.1 nextIdleTime 42006.6
TerminalGame.tsx:94 heroAction Idle gameTime 44007.3 timestamp 44007.3 nextIdleTime 42006.6
TerminalGame.tsx:89 heroAction Run gameTime 49007.6 timestamp 49007.6 nextIdleTime 49007.3
TerminalGame.tsx:94 heroAction Idle gameTime 51007.9 timestamp 51007.9 nextIdleTime 49007.3
TerminalGame.tsx:89 heroAction Run gameTime 56008.3 timestamp 56008.3 nextIdleTime 56007.9
TerminalGame.tsx:94 heroAction Idle gameTime 58008.3 timestamp 58008.3 nextIdleTime 56007.9
TerminalGame.tsx:89 heroAction Run gameTime 63008.8 timestamp 63008.8 nextIdleTime 63008.3
TerminalGame.tsx:94 heroAction Idle gameTime 65008.9 timestamp 65008.9 nextIdleTime 63008.3
TerminalGame.tsx:89 heroAction Run gameTime 70009.4 timestamp 70009.4 nextIdleTime 70008.9
TerminalGame.tsx:94 heroAction Idle gameTime 72009.5 timestamp 72009.5 nextIdleTime 70008.9
TerminalGame.tsx:89 heroAction Run gameTime 77009.9 timestamp 77009.9 nextIdleTime 77009.5
TerminalGame.tsx:94 heroAction Idle gameTime 79010.2 timestamp 79010.2 nextIdleTime 77009.5

I am going to let it run for a little bit now that I've cleaned out a few of the things you mentioned.

Codeium at 2:23 pm, Jun 2, 2024

That's great to hear! It looks like the console.log statements are now accurately reflecting the changes between the 'Run' and 'Idle' states based on the timestamps, and the nextIdleTime and nextRunTime logic appears to be working correctly.

Letting it run for a while is a good idea to ensure that:

1. The changes between 'Run' and 'Idle' continue to occur accurately at the expected intervals.
2. There are no memory leaks or performance issues that manifest over time.

While it's running, monitor the browser's memory usage and performance:

• Memory Usage: Open the browser's developer tools, go to the Memory tab, and take heap snapshots at regular intervals. Compare the snapshots to see if there is a steady increase in memory usage, which could indicate a memory leak.
• Performance: Go to the Performance tab and record a session while the game is running to check for any bottlenecks or long-running scripts.

If you encounter any unexpected behavior or performance degradation during this period, you can further investigate those specific issues. Otherwise, if everything continues to run smoothly, it likely means your performance optimizations have been effective.