../lib/Benchmark.pm
Benchmark - benchmark running times of code
timethis - run a chunk of code several times
timethese - run several chunks of code several times
timeit - run a chunk of code and see how long it goes
<![CDATA[
timethis ($count, "code");
timethese($count, {
'Name1' => '...code1...',
'Name2' => '...code2...',
});
$t = timeit($count, '...other code...')
print "$count loops of other code took:",timestr($t),"\n";
]]>
The Benchmark module encapsulates a number of routines to help you
figure out how long it takes to execute some code.
-
new
-
Returns the current time. Example:
<![CDATA[
use Benchmark;
$t0 = new Benchmark;
# ... your code here ...
$t1 = new Benchmark;
$td = timediff($t1, $t0);
print "the code took:",timestr($dt),"\n";
]]>
-
debug
-
Enables or disable debugging by setting the
$Benchmark::Debug flag:
<![CDATA[
debug Benchmark 1;
$t = timeit(10, ' 5 ** $Global ');
debug Benchmark 0;
]]>
The following routines will be exported into your namespace
if you use the Benchmark module:
-
timeit(COUNT, CODE)
-
Arguments: COUNT is the number of time to run the loop, and
the second is the code to run. CODE may be a string containing the code,
a reference to the function to run, or a reference to a hash containing
keys which are names and values which are more CODE specs.
Side-effects: prints out noise to standard out.
Returns: a Benchmark object.
-
timethis
-
-
timethese
-
-
timediff
-
-
timestr
-
The following routines will be exported into your namespace
if you specifically ask that they be imported:
The data is stored as a list of values from the time and times
functions:
<![CDATA[
($real, $user, $system, $children_user, $children_system)
]]>
in seconds for the whole loop (not divided by the number of rounds).
The timing is done using time(3) and times(3).
Code is executed in the caller's package.
Enable debugging by:
<![CDATA[
$Benchmark::debug = 1;
]]>
The time of the null loop (a loop with the same
number of rounds but empty loop body) is subtracted
from the time of the real loop.
The null loop times are cached, the key being the
number of rounds. The caching can be controlled using
calls like these:
<![CDATA[
clearcache($key);
clearallcache();
disablecache();
enablecache();
]]>
Benchmark inherits from no other class, except of course
for Exporter.
The real time timing is done using time(2) and
the granularity is therefore only one second.
Short tests may produce negative figures because perl
can appear to take longer to execute the empty loop
than a short test; try:
<![CDATA[
timethis(100,'1');
]]>
The system time of the null loop might be slightly
more than the system time of the loop with the actual
code and therefore the difference might end up being < 0.
More documentation is needed :-( especially for styles and formats.
Jarkko Hietaniemi <Jarkko.Hietaniemi@hut.fi>,
Tim Bunce <Tim.Bunce@ig.co.uk>
September 8th, 1994; by Tim Bunce.