performance: sort engine performance

UI/BankFrame.lua

@@ -173,9 +173,8 @@ function BankFrame:Update()
         -- Check if we have any displayed items
         local hasDisplayedItems = false
         for _, bankBagParent in pairs(bankBagParents) do
-            if bankBagParent then
-                local children = { bankBagParent:GetChildren() }
-                for _, button in ipairs(children) do
+            if bankBagParent and bankBagParent.itemButtons then
+                for button in pairs(bankBagParent.itemButtons) do
                     if button.hasItem and button:IsShown() then
                         hasDisplayedItems = true
                         break
@@ -194,9 +193,8 @@ function BankFrame:Update()
 
     -- Mark all existing buttons as not in use (we'll mark active ones during display)
     for _, bankBagParent in pairs(bankBagParents) do
-        if bankBagParent then
-            local buttons = { bankBagParent:GetChildren() }
-            for _, button in ipairs(buttons) do
+        if bankBagParent and bankBagParent.itemButtons then
+            for button in pairs(bankBagParent.itemButtons) do
                 if button.hasItem ~= nil then
                     button.inUse = false
                 end
@@ -274,9 +272,8 @@ function BankFrame:Update()
 
     -- Clean up unused buttons AFTER display is complete (prevents drag/drop issues)
     for _, bankBagParent in pairs(bankBagParents) do
-        if bankBagParent then
-            local buttons = { bankBagParent:GetChildren() }
-            for _, button in ipairs(buttons) do
+        if bankBagParent and bankBagParent.itemButtons then
+            for button in pairs(bankBagParent.itemButtons) do
                 if button.hasItem ~= nil and not button.inUse then
                     button:Hide()
                     button:ClearAllPoints()

UI/FrameHelpers.lua

@@ -135,44 +135,77 @@ function Guda_CategorizeItem(itemData, bagID, slotID, categories, specialItems,
     table.insert(categories[cat], {bagID = bagID, slotID = slotID, itemData = itemData})
 end
 
--- Initialize empty category tables
+--=====================================================
+-- Category Table Pooling (memory optimization)
+-- Reuses category tables instead of creating new ones
+--=====================================================
+local categoriesCache = nil
+local specialItemsCache = nil
+
+-- Clear a table without creating a new one (Lua 5.0 compatible)
+local function WipeTable(t)
+    if not t then return end
+    for k in pairs(t) do
+        t[k] = nil
+    end
+end
+
+-- Initialize empty category tables (reuses cached tables)
 function Guda_InitCategories()
     -- Refresh category list from CategoryManager (enabled categories only for display)
     Guda_RefreshCategoryList()
 
-    -- Create tables for ALL categories (not just enabled) so items can be categorized
-    -- Items in disabled categories simply won't be displayed
-    local categories = {}
+    -- Reuse or create categories table
+    if not categoriesCache then
+        categoriesCache = {}
+    end
+
+    -- Clear existing category arrays (don't recreate the main table)
+    for cat, items in pairs(categoriesCache) do
+        WipeTable(items)
+    end
 
     if addon.Modules.CategoryManager then
         -- Get full category order (all categories, not just enabled)
         local allCategories = addon.Modules.CategoryManager:GetCategoryOrder()
         for _, cat in ipairs(allCategories) do
-            categories[cat] = {}
+            if not categoriesCache[cat] then
+                categoriesCache[cat] = {}
+            end
         end
     else
         -- Fallback: use the display list
         for _, cat in ipairs(Guda_CategoryList) do
-            categories[cat] = {}
+            if not categoriesCache[cat] then
+                categoriesCache[cat] = {}
+            end
         end
     end
 
     -- Always ensure Miscellaneous exists as fallback
-    if not categories["Miscellaneous"] then
-        categories["Miscellaneous"] = {}
+    if not categoriesCache["Miscellaneous"] then
+        categoriesCache["Miscellaneous"] = {}
     end
 
     -- Always ensure Keyring exists (handled specially in BagFrame)
-    if not categories["Keyring"] then
-        categories["Keyring"] = {}
+    if not categoriesCache["Keyring"] then
+        categoriesCache["Keyring"] = {}
     end
 
-    local specialItems = {
-        Hearthstone = {},
-        Mount = {},
-        Tools = {}
-    }
-    return categories, specialItems
+    -- Reuse or create specialItems table
+    if not specialItemsCache then
+        specialItemsCache = {
+            Hearthstone = {},
+            Mount = {},
+            Tools = {}
+        }
+    else
+        WipeTable(specialItemsCache.Hearthstone)
+        WipeTable(specialItemsCache.Mount)
+        WipeTable(specialItemsCache.Tools)
+    end
+
+    return categoriesCache, specialItemsCache
 end
 
 -- Sort items within a category
@@ -254,17 +287,26 @@ function Guda_GetBagParent(framePrefix, parentsTable, bagID, containerName)
         if parentsTable[bagID].SetID then
             parentsTable[bagID]:SetID(bagID)
         end
+        -- Track item buttons to avoid GetChildren() table allocation
+        parentsTable[bagID].itemButtons = {}
     end
     return parentsTable[bagID]
 end
 
+-- Register an item button with its parent for tracking
+function Guda_RegisterItemButton(parent, button)
+    if parent and parent.itemButtons and button then
+        parent.itemButtons[button] = true
+    end
+end
+
 -- Update lock/desaturation states for a table of parent frames
+-- Uses itemButtons tracking to avoid GetChildren() table allocation
 function Guda_UpdateLockStates(parentsTable)
     if not parentsTable then return end
     for _, parent in pairs(parentsTable) do
-        if parent then
-            local buttons = { parent:GetChildren() }
-            for _, button in ipairs(buttons) do
+        if parent and parent.itemButtons then
+            for button in pairs(parent.itemButtons) do
                 if button.hasItem ~= nil and button:IsShown() and button.bagID and button.slotID then
                     -- GetContainerItemInfo returns: texture, itemCount, locked, quality, readable
                     -- The 3rd return value is the lock state (boolean or nil)

UI/ItemButton.lua

@@ -23,37 +23,45 @@ local function IsQuestItem(bagID, slotID, isBank, itemData)
 end
 
 --=====================================================
--- Junk Icon Helper Functions (reusable for all views)
--- Shows a vendor sell icon on junk items
+-- Junk Icon Pool (Baganator-inspired memory optimization)
+-- Uses frame pooling to avoid creating new frames per button
 --=====================================================
+local junkIconPool = {}
 
--- Create junk icon for a button (parented to UIParent for full opacity)
-local function CreateJunkIcon(button)
-    if button.junkIcon then return button.junkIcon end
+-- Get a junk icon from pool or create new one
+local function AcquireJunkIcon()
+    local icon = table.remove(junkIconPool)
+    if not icon then
+        icon = CreateFrame("Frame", nil, UIParent)
+        icon:SetFrameStrata("HIGH")
+        icon:SetWidth(14)
+        icon:SetHeight(14)
 
-    local junkFrame = CreateFrame("Frame", nil, UIParent)
-    junkFrame:SetFrameStrata("HIGH")
-    junkFrame:SetWidth(14)
-    junkFrame:SetHeight(14)
-
-    local texture = junkFrame:CreateTexture(nil, "OVERLAY")
-    texture:SetAllPoints(junkFrame)
-    texture:SetTexture("Interface\\GossipFrame\\VendorGossipIcon")
-    texture:SetTexCoord(0, 1, 0, 1)
-
-    junkFrame:Hide()
-    button.junkIcon = junkFrame
-    return junkFrame
+        local texture = icon:CreateTexture(nil, "OVERLAY")
+        texture:SetAllPoints(icon)
+        texture:SetTexture("Interface\\GossipFrame\\VendorGossipIcon")
+        texture:SetTexCoord(0, 1, 0, 1)
+        icon.texture = texture
+    end
+    return icon
 end
 
--- Update junk icon visibility and position
-local function UpdateJunkIcon(button, isJunk, iconSize)
-    -- Create icon if it doesn't exist
-    if not button.junkIcon then
-        CreateJunkIcon(button)
+-- Release a junk icon back to the pool
+local function ReleaseJunkIcon(icon)
+    if icon then
+        icon:Hide()
+        icon:ClearAllPoints()
+        table.insert(junkIconPool, icon)
     end
+end
 
+-- Update junk icon visibility and position (uses pooling)
+local function UpdateJunkIcon(button, isJunk, iconSize)
     if isJunk then
+        -- Acquire from pool if needed
+        if not button.junkIcon then
+            button.junkIcon = AcquireJunkIcon()
+        end
         -- Scale icon size based on button size
         local junkIconSize = math.max(10, math.min(14, iconSize * 0.30))
         button.junkIcon:SetWidth(junkIconSize)
@@ -63,14 +71,19 @@ local function UpdateJunkIcon(button, isJunk, iconSize)
         button.junkIcon:SetAlpha(1.0)
         button.junkIcon:Show()
     else
-        button.junkIcon:Hide()
+        -- Release back to pool when not needed
+        if button.junkIcon then
+            ReleaseJunkIcon(button.junkIcon)
+            button.junkIcon = nil
+        end
     end
 end
 
--- Hide junk icon (for cleanup/reset)
+-- Hide junk icon (releases to pool)
 local function HideJunkIcon(button)
     if button.junkIcon then
-        button.junkIcon:Hide()
+        ReleaseJunkIcon(button.junkIcon)
+        button.junkIcon = nil
     end
 end
 
@@ -251,6 +264,11 @@ function Guda_GetItemButton(parent)
     buttonPool[nextButtonID] = button
     nextButtonID = nextButtonID + 1
 
+    -- Register button with parent for tracking (avoids GetChildren() allocation)
+    if Guda_RegisterItemButton then
+        Guda_RegisterItemButton(parent, button)
+    end
+
     return button
 end