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πŸ”₯ Timeline / Flame Chart​

Use the Timeline to visualize code execution, event durations, and performance bottlenecks. Zoom, pan, navigate with the minimap overview, and interact with detailed tooltips for efficient Salesforce apex log analysis and debugging.

Timeline view screenshot showing a color-coded flame chart of Salesforce event types such as DB, Method, and SOQL, visualizing code execution duration and performance

The new experimental timeline is up to 7X faster than the legacy timeline, with improved performance especially for large logs. It includes text labels on frames, faster zoom/pan operations, and a more natural time axis scaling.

Legacy Timeline

To revert to the legacy timeline, navigate to Settings β†’ Apex Log Analyzer β†’ Timeline β†’ Legacy and enable it.

Zoom + Pan​

ActionMouseKeyboard
Zoom In/OutScroll wheel (mouse-anchored)W / S or + / -
Pan HorizontallyAlt/Option + Scroll, Trackpad swipe, or DragA / D
Pan VerticallyShift + Scroll or DragShift+W / Shift+S
Reset Zoomβ€”Home or 0
  • When zooming, the mouse pointer position is kept on screen (mouse-anchored zoom).
  • Trackpad users can swipe left/right for natural horizontal panning.
  • Time markers are shown with a ms time value (e.g., 9600.001 ms).

Frame Selection​

Click on any event to select and highlight it. Selection enables keyboard navigation through the call stack.

ActionMouseKeyboard
Select FrameClickβ€”
Clear SelectionClick empty spaceEscape
Navigate to Parentβ€”Arrow Down
Navigate to Childβ€”Arrow Up
Navigate to Siblingβ€”Arrow Left / Arrow Right
Focus/Zoom to FrameDouble-clickEnter or Z
Arrow Key Behavior

When no frame is selected, arrow keys pan the viewport. When a frame is selected, arrow keys navigate the call stack. Hold Shift to always pan.

Go to Call Tree​

ActionMouseKeyboard
Show in Call TreeCmd/Ctrl + ClickJ
Show Context MenuRight-clickβ€”

Use J or Cmd/Ctrl+Click to navigate to the selected frame in the Call Tree. Right-click opens a context menu with additional actions.

Context Menu​

Right-click on any frame to access:

  • Show in Call Tree (J) β€” Navigate to the frame in the Call Tree
  • Go to Source β€” Jump to the source method in your project (when available)
  • Zoom to Frame (Z) β€” Zoom and center the selected frame
  • Copy Name (Cmd/Ctrl+C) β€” Copy the frame name to clipboard
  • Copy Details β€” Copy tooltip information
  • Copy Call Stack β€” Copy the full call stack

Right-click on empty space shows Reset Zoom (0).

Markers​

Log issue markers (truncation, errors, etc.) can be selected and navigated:

ActionMouseKeyboard
Select MarkerClickβ€”
Navigate Markersβ€”Arrow Left / Arrow Right (when marker selected)
Jump to Call TreeCmd/Ctrl + ClickJ

Search + Highlight​

The timeline supports search functionality that dims non-matching events, making it easier to find specific matches visually.

ActionKeyboard
Next MatchEnter
Previous MatchShift+Enter
Continuous NavigationHold Enter or Shift+Enter

Measurement & Zoom Tools​

Measure Range​

Use Shift+Drag to measure the duration between any two points on the timeline. This is useful for precisely measuring the time span of specific operations or groups of events.

ActionMouse/Keyboard
Create MeasurementShift+Drag on timeline
Resize MeasurementDrag the left or right edge of the measurement
Zoom to MeasurementDouble-click inside measurement, or click zoom icon
Clear MeasurementEscape or click outside the measurement area

The measurement overlay displays:

  • The time duration of the selected range
  • A zoom icon to quickly zoom to fit the measured area
Resize Handles

Hover near the edges of an existing measurement to see the resize cursor. Drag to adjust the measurement boundaries β€” edges can be dragged past each other to swap positions.

Area Zoom​

Use Alt/Option+Drag to select a time range and instantly zoom to fit it. This provides a quick way to focus on a specific portion of the timeline.

ActionMouse/Keyboard
Area ZoomAlt/Option+Drag on timeline

Release the mouse button to zoom the viewport to fit the selected area exactly.

Tooltip​

Tooltip showing detailed event information including event name, description, timestamps, duration, and row counts

Hovering over an element displays detailed information about that event. Use J or Cmd/Ctrl+Click to navigate to the frame in the Call Tree.

The tooltip provides the following information:

  • Event Name - e.g., METHOD_ENTRY, EXECUTION_STARTED, SOQL_EXECUTION_BEGIN
  • Event Description - Additional information about the event such as method name or SOQL query executed
  • Timestamp - The start and end timestamp for the given event which can be cross-referenced in the log file
  • Time - Wall-clock time of day for the event (e.g., 14:30:05.122 β†’ 14:30:06.625). Only shown when wall-clock data is available in the log.
  • Duration - Made up of Total Time (time spent in that event and its children) and Self Time (time directly spent in that event)
  • Rows - Shows Total Rows (rows from that event and its children) and Self Rows (rows directly from that event)

Minimap​

The minimap gives you instant context of your entire log. Spot hotspots at a glance, jump anywhere with a click, and always know exactly where you areβ€”all without scrolling.

The Timeline minimap: a density skyline of the whole log with a viewport lens that pans and zooms the main timeline.

What the Minimap Shows​

  • Skyline Chart: A density-based visualization:
    • Height = maximum call stack depth at that point
    • Color = dominant event category (Apex, SOQL, DML, etc.)
    • Opacity = event density (brighter = more events)
  • Viewport Lens: A window showing exactly what's visible in the main timeline (time range horizontal, depth range vertical)
  • Time Axis: Time reference markers at the top
  • Markers: Error, skip, and truncation markers from the main timeline
  • Cursor Mirroring: Hover to see a guide line on the main timeline

Mouse Interactions​

ActionMouseResult
Create ZoomDrag anywhereDraw a viewport area and zoom to it
Resize ViewportDrag lens edgeAdjust zoom range
Move ViewportDrag top/Shift+DragPan the viewport
Teleport LensCmd/Ctrl+ClickCenter the lens on click position
Zoom In/OutScroll (vertical)Zoom at cursor position
Pan HorizontallyScroll (horizontal)Move viewport left/right
Pan DepthDrag (vertical)Scroll the main timeline up/down
ResetDouble-clickZoom out to fit entire timeline
Teleport Navigation

Cmd/Ctrl+Click is the fastest way to jump to any point in a massive log. The lens teleports to center on your click while preserving the current zoom level.

Keyboard Shortcuts​

When your mouse is hovering over the minimap, these keyboard shortcuts are available:

KeyAction
Arrow LeftPan viewport left (10% of selection width)
Arrow RightPan viewport right (10% of selection width)
Arrow UpPan depth up (show deeper frames)
Arrow DownPan depth down (show shallower frames)
W / + / =Zoom in (narrow the lens)
S / -Zoom out (widen the lens)
HomeJump to timeline start
EndJump to timeline end
0 / EscapeReset zoom (fit entire timeline)

Lens Label​

When hovering over the viewport lens or dragging, a label appears showing:

  • The duration of the selected time range (e.g., "1.23s")
  • The time range start and end (e.g., "0.5s - 1.73s")

Governor Limits Strip​

The Governor Limits strip displays Salesforce governor limit usage over time, positioned below the main timeline. It provides instant visual feedback on limit consumption to help identify potential limit breaches.

The Governor Limits strip below the Timeline, showing limit usage over time with traffic-light coloring.

Display Modes​

Collapsed Mode (Default)​

A compact heat-style visualization showing the maximum limit usage across all metrics at each point in time.

Traffic Light Colors:

Usage RangeColorMeaning
0-50%TransparentSafe
50-80%Amber/OrangeWarning
80-100%RedCritical
>100%PurpleBreach

Expanded Mode​

Click the chevron icon (β—€/β–Ό) in the top-left corner or Shift+Click anywhere to expand to a full step chart showing:

  • Tier 1 Metrics: Top 3 metrics by usage (solid colored lines)
  • Tier 2 Metrics: Any metric exceeding 80% (solid colored lines)
  • Tier 3 Metrics: Remaining metrics (aggregated as grey dashed line)
  • Danger Zone: Semi-transparent band from 80-100%
  • 100% Limit Line: Red dashed line at the limit threshold
  • Breach Areas: Purple shading for values above 100%

Mouse Interactions​

ActionMouseResult
Toggle ViewClick chevron or Shift+ClickSwitch between collapsed/expanded
Show TooltipHoverDisplay metric breakdown
Center TimelineClick on stripPan timeline to clicked position
ZoomScroll (vertical)Zoom at cursor position
PanScroll (horizontal)Move timeline left/right
Reset ViewDouble-clickFit entire timeline

Keyboard Shortcuts​

When your mouse is hovering over the Governor Limits strip, these keyboard shortcuts are available:

KeyAction
Arrow LeftPan viewport left (10% of selection width)
Arrow RightPan viewport right (10% of selection width)
W / +Zoom in
S / -Zoom out
HomeJump to timeline start
EndJump to timeline end
0 / EscapeReset zoom (fit entire timeline)

Tooltip​

Hovering over the metric strip displays a detailed breakdown showing:

  • Always-visible metrics: CPU Time, Heap Size, SOQL Queries, Query Rows, DML Statements, DML Rows
  • Top 3 by percentage: Highest usage metrics (if not already shown)
  • Critical metrics: Any metric at or above 80%
  • Summary: Count of remaining metrics with max percentage

Each row displays: color swatch, metric name, percentage, and used/limit values.

Wall-Clock Time​

The timeline supports switching between two time display modes:

  • Elapsed Time (default): Time relative to the start of the log (e.g., 0 ms, 1500 ms, 2.5 s)
  • Wall-Clock Time: Actual time of day from the log (e.g., 14:30:05.122)

Click the clock icon button in the top-right corner of the timeline toolbar to toggle between modes.

Themes​

The timeline supports multiple color themes for better visual clarity and personalization. The extension includes 19 built-in themes with improved contrast and readability.

Built-in Themes​

The following themes are available out of the box:

  • 50 Shades of Green (default)
  • 50 Shades of Green Bright
  • Botanical Twilight
  • Catppuccin
  • Chrome
  • Dracula
  • Dusty Aurora
  • Firefox
  • Flame
  • Forest Floor
  • Garish
  • Material
  • Modern
  • Monokai Pro
  • Nord
  • Nord Forest
  • Okabe-Ito
  • Salesforce
  • Solarized

Switching Themes​

There are two ways to change the active timeline theme:

Command Palette​

  1. Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P on macOS or Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux)
  2. Type "Log: Timeline Theme"
  3. Select a theme from the list
  4. Preview themes by navigating through the options with arrow keys
  5. Press Enter to confirm, or Esc to revert to the previous theme

Settings​

Navigate to Settings β†’ Apex Log Analyzer β†’ Timeline β†’ Active Theme and select your preferred theme from the dropdown.

Custom Themes​

You can create custom color themes to match your preferences or specific use cases.

Creating Custom Themes​

  1. Navigate to Settings β†’ Apex Log Analyzer β†’ Timeline β†’ Custom Themes
  2. Define your custom theme(s) using the following structure:
"lana.timeline.customThemes": {
"Glacial Warmth": {
"apex": "#6882A6",
"codeUnit": "#7A9B6E",
"system": "#9E8E7C",
"automation": "#D98650",
"dml": "#C85A5A",
"soql": "#57A89A",
"callout": "#C9A64D",
"validation": "#8B7BAC"
},
"Orchid Slate": {
"apex": "#647C96",
"codeUnit": "#8872A8",
"system": "#8A7E7E",
"automation": "#C08545",
"dml": "#C94C6E",
"soql": "#5A9E85",
"callout": "#B5A044",
"validation": "#4EA6A6"
}
}

Theme Color Properties​

Each theme requires the following color properties (in hex format):

  • apex - Apex method entry/exit events
  • codeUnit - Code Unit events
  • system - System method calls
  • automation - Workflow, Flow, and Process Builder events
  • dml - DML operations (insert, update, delete, etc.)
  • soql - SOQL queries
  • callout - HTTP callout events
  • validation - Validation rule events

Custom themes will appear in the theme selector alongside built-in themes and can be switched using the Command Palette or settings.

note

Custom theme names cannot override built-in theme names. If you use the same name as a built-in theme, the built-in theme will take precedence.