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Concept
Profiling (computer programming)
Summary
In software engineering, profiling ("program profiling", "software profiling") is a form of dynamic program analysis that measures, for example, the space (memory) or time complexity of a program, the usage of particular instructions, or the frequency and duration of function calls. Most commonly, profiling information serves to aid program optimization, and more specifically, performance engineering.
Profiling is achieved by instrumenting either the program source code or its binary executable form using a tool called a profiler (or code profiler). Profilers may use a number of different techniques, such as event-based, statistical, instrumented, and simulation methods.
Profilers use a wide variety of techniques to collect data, including hardware interrupts, code instrumentation, instruction set simulation, operating system hooks, and performance counters.
The output of a profiler may be:
A statistical summary of the events observed (a profile)
Summary profile information is often shown annotated against the source code statements where the events occur, so the size of measurement data is linear to the code size of the program.
/* ------------ source------------------------- count */
0001 IF X = "A" 0055
0002 THEN DO
0003 ADD 1 to XCOUNT 0032
0004 ELSE
0005 IF X = "B" 0055
A stream of recorded events (a trace)
For sequential programs, a summary profile is usually sufficient, but performance problems in parallel programs (waiting for messages or synchronization issues) often depend on the time relationship of events, thus requiring a full trace to get an understanding of what is happening.
The size of a (full) trace is linear to the program's instruction path length, making it somewhat impractical. A trace may therefore be initiated at one point in a program and terminated at another point to limit the output.
An ongoing interaction with the hypervisor (continuous or periodic monitoring via on-screen display for instance)
This provides the opportunity to switch a trace on or off at any desired point during execution in addition to viewing on-going metrics about the (still executing) program.
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