Profiling Applications in

1. Profiling Applications in Luis I. Gomez 4.18

2. BR Profiler • BR Profiler Feature • Components • Profiler types • Profiling an application • Interpreting your results • Customizing your Results • Profiler.wb • GUI editor (MyEdit or Notepad++) • Profiler.mdb

3. BR Profiler • BR Profiler Feature • Components • Profiler types • Profiling an application • Interpreting your results

4. BR 4.18 Profiler – Components • BR.EXE • Version 4.18+ required • PROFILER.DOC • Documentation • PROFILER.EXE • Utility to extract results.

5. BR 4.18 Profiler – Types • SAMPLED • DEBUG SAMPLED C:\WORK\SAMPLED.TXT • Itemized profile of each and every execution clause • Can be very large • TIMED • DEBUG TIMED C:\WORK\SAMPLED.TXT • Summary of Clauses, Functions & Go Subs • Much smaller

6. BR 4.18 Profiler – Types • STOP • DEBUG STOP • Stops profiling

7. Profiling an Application. • Load BR 4.18+ • Prepare for profiling • Start BR • Load desired application • Start Profiler • You may start before the application runs • CTRL-A at a desired location • Imbed the profiler inside your application

8. Profiling an Application. • Clauses • List Clause • A clause is parsed by a ` (Not Necessarily a line)

9. Interpreting your results. • PROFILER.EXE • PROFILER.EXE filename >RESULTS.TXT • PROFILER.EXE filename RAW >RAW.TXT • PROFILER.EXE filename PRETTY >PRETTY.TXT • PROFILER.BAT • Simple Batch File to automate this complex step

10. Interpreting your results. • DEFAULT • Simple Report with Totals • RAW • Extracts all of the information for review • PRETTY • Improved output over the default. • Viewing Results • Results are Tab Delimited for easy viewing

11. Customizing your results. • Profiler.wb • CLS application (Available for general use) • Required BR 4.18+ • Enter the “C:\WORK\PROFILE.TXT” file

12. Customizing your results. • Output Results(Tab Delimited Reports) • Filename-Modules.txt • Filename-Results.txt • Filename-Stats.txt • Filename-Type.txt • Source Code Results • Filename-[Full Path Name].brs

13. Customizing – Modules.txt • Filename-Modules.txt • Each module is assigned a # • 0 – (Unsaved) Proc or similar • 1 – Usually the “Primary program” • 2 – ?? Libraries or “Other programs” • Other files refer to modules by # • Nice summary • Program names • Library names

14. Customizing – Results.txt • Filename-Results.txt • Itemized results • Fields • Module - Module # • Line - Program line # • Clause - Program line clause # • Spent - Time spent on clause • Accrued - Total time (Timeline) • Function - Function name (Timed) • Gosub - Gosub name (Timed)

15. Customizing – Stats.txt • Filename-Stats.txt • Totals based on profiler data • Combines source code to determine • Clause type (Print, Input, etc) • SAMPLED • Provides statistics based on # & time spent • TIMED • Provides Statistics based on # of executions

16. Customizing – Type.txt • Filename-Type.txt • Totals based on profiler data • Combines source code to determine • Clause type (Print, Input, etc) • Statistics based on clause type • Identify the “cost” of BR commands. • Ignore things like “User Input”

17. BR 4.18 Profiler – GUI Editor • Filename-[Full Path Name].BRS • Complete source code extracted • List clause • Fields • Line # • Clause • Total # times executed • Time spent (If Sampled) • Detailed clause • Edit using MyEdit or Notepad++

18. BR 4.18 Profiler – Profiler.mdb • Simple MS-Access database • Automatically links to • C:\WORK\PROFILE-MODULES.TXT • C:\WORK\PROFILE-RESULTS.TXT • C:\WORK\PROFILE-STATS.TXT • C:\WORK\PROFILE-TYPE.TXT

19. BR 4.18 Profiler – Profiler.mdb • How to use • Create your profile reports • Copy the results to above file names • Execute query • This is a sample • you can be more creative!

20. Sample Application • PRO-SLOW.WB • Sample application parses & displays the words used in STATUS ALL. • Takes roughly 30 seconds to execute • Most executed • Lines 4040,4050, 3020,3040,3100 • Longest execution time • Line 3070,4040,4050,4020,321

21. Sample Application - Problems • Poor Placement • FNSORT_WORDS • This routine is executed many times! • Ultimately, it is only needed at the very end. • Moved to line 395

22. Sample Application - Problems • Complex Line • 3040 – SREP & UPRC$ • One of the most executed lines • Relatively slow • Very complex & hard to read! • Move UPRC$ & break out SREP

23. Sample Application - Problems • Longest Execution Time • 321 PRINT # • Print is very slow in GUI Mode • No need to display 1062 Times! • 3070 PRINT # & SUM • Print is very slow in GUI Mode • No Need to Display 7048 Times • Could be consolidated with 321 • Create New Counter instead of using SUM.

24. Sample Application - Solution • PRO-FAST.WB • Application with Solutions applied • Time reduced from 30 seconds to 1 • Line 3040 • WORD$=SREP$(SREP$(SREP$(TRIM$(LINE$(1:NMARKER-1)),'"',""),",",""),"_","") • Is it Worth Faster Execution for a complex line? • Sometimes it’s actually faster to split it up. • (Not this time)

25. Sample Application - Solution • How Far to Go? • Once we have 30 times improvement do we care? • 330 – “Stretchy Array” Is somewhat slow.

26. Profiler – Summary • Dramatically improve performance • Identify Problem Areas • Learn about the BR Internals • Extend capabilities with your own code