History Panel

Pro Feature

Session management features (save, compare, export) require a Pro license. Free tier allows 1 session save per day.

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What is the History Panel?

The History Panel allows you to save profiling sessions, compare them against baselines, and export data for analysis. This is essential for tracking performance over time and detecting regressions.

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Opening the History Panel

IntelliJ IDEA

1. Open the Profiler tool window (bottom panel)
2. Click the History tab

VS Code / Cursor / Windsurf

1. Click the GalataJ icon in the sidebar
2. Expand the Session History section

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Saving a Session

Save your current profiling data to compare later or export for analysis.

How to Save

1. While profiling is active, click Save Session button
2. Enter a descriptive name (e.g., “Before optimization”, “v2.1.0 release”)
3. Optionally add tags for filtering
4. Click Save

What Gets Saved

Data	Description
Method metrics	Avg/max CPU time, call count, allocations
Context info	HTTP endpoints, Spring controllers, DB queries
JVM info	Java version, heap size, GC stats
Timestamp	When the session was captured
Source code	Method source code (if available)

Session Storage

Sessions are stored locally in ~/.galataj/sessions/. They never leave your machine unless you explicitly export them.

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What is a Baseline?

A baseline is a reference session that you compare your current (live) performance against. It represents your “known good” state.

Common Baseline Use Cases

Scenario	Baseline Choice
Feature development	Session before your changes
Performance optimization	Session before optimization
Release validation	Previous release performance
Regression detection	Last known stable version

Setting a Baseline

1. In the History Panel, find the session you want as baseline
2. Right-click → Set as Baseline (or click the ⭐ icon)
3. The baseline session will be marked with a star

Baseline Tips

• Choose a baseline under normal load conditions
• Save baselines at release milestones
• Update baseline after intentional performance changes

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Comparing Sessions

Compare any two sessions to see what changed - perfect for detecting regressions or verifying optimizations.

Compare Methods

Method 1: Compare with Baseline

1. Select any session in the history
2. Click Compare with Baseline
3. View the diff showing improvements and regressions

Method 2: Compare Any Two Sessions

1. Select first session → Right-click → Compare With…
2. Select second session from the list
3. View comparison results

Understanding Compare Results

The comparison view shows:

Column	Description
Method	Class and method name
Baseline	Metrics from baseline session
Current	Metrics from compared session
Delta	Difference (+ slower, - faster)
Trend	↑ Regression, ↓ Improvement, = Unchanged

Color Coding

• 🟢 Green - Performance improved (faster, less memory)
• 🔴 Red - Performance regressed (slower, more memory)
• ⚪ Gray - No significant change

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Exporting Sessions

Export your profiling data for documentation, sharing, or external analysis.

Export Formats

Format	Best For
JSON	Programmatic analysis, CI/CD integration
CSV	Spreadsheet analysis, Excel/Google Sheets
HTML	Readable reports, sharing with team

Single Session Export

Export one session’s data:

1. Select session in History Panel
2. Click Export button (or right-click → Export)
3. Choose format (JSON, CSV, HTML)
4. Select destination folder
5. Click Export

Compare Export

Export a comparison between two sessions:

1. After running a comparison, click Export Compare
2. Choose format
3. The export includes:
   • Both sessions’ metrics
   • Delta calculations
   • Trend indicators
   • Summary statistics

Export via CLI

# Export latest session
galataj export --format json --output ./profiling-data.json

# Export specific session
galataj export --session-id abc123 --format html --output ./report.html

# Export comparison
galataj export --compare --session1 abc123 --session2 def456 --format csv

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Session Management

Viewing Session Details

Click on any session to see detailed information:

Details include:

• Session name and timestamp
• Total methods profiled
• Total CPU time and allocations
• JVM runtime summary
• Top hotspot methods

Filtering Sessions

Use filters to find specific sessions:

• By date - Last 7 days, last month, custom range
• By tags - Filter by tags you added
• By name - Search session names

Deleting Sessions

1. Right-click session → Delete
2. Confirm deletion

Tip

Deleted sessions cannot be recovered. Consider exporting important sessions before deleting.

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Best Practices

Name Sessions Descriptively

Use names like “v2.1.0-before-cache-fix” instead of “session1”

Save at Milestones

Save sessions before/after major changes, releases, and optimizations

Use Tags

Add tags like “production”, “staging”, “feature-x” for easy filtering

Regular Baseline Updates

Update your baseline after verified performance improvements

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Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Can’t save session	Check Pro license: galataj license status
Sessions not appearing	Refresh the History Panel
Export fails	Check disk space and write permissions
Compare shows no data	Ensure both sessions have overlapping methods

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Next Steps

• AI Integration - Use AI to analyze your profiling data
• Configuration - Customize session settings
• CLI Reference - Command-line session management