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GPROF(1)

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NAME    [Toc]    [Back]

       gprof - display call graph profile data

SYNOPSIS    [Toc]    [Back]

       gprof [ -[abcDhilLsTvwxyz] ] [ -[ACeEfFJnNOpPqQZ][name] ]
	[ -I dirs ] [ -d[num] ] [ -k from/to ]
	[ -m min-count ] [ -t table-length ]
	[ --[no-]annotated-source[=name] ]
	[ --[no-]exec-counts[=name] ]
	[ --[no-]flat-profile[=name] ] [ --[no-]graph[=name] ]
	[ --[no-]time=name] [ --all-lines ] [ --brief ]
	[ --debug[=level] ] [ --function-ordering ]
	[ --file-ordering ] [ --directory-path=dirs ]
	[ --display-unused-functions ] [ --file-format=name ]
	[ --file-info ] [ --help ] [ --line ] [ --min-count=n ]
	[ --no-static ] [ --print-path ] [ --separate-files ]
	[ --static-call-graph ] [ --sum ] [ --table-length=len ]
	[ --traditional ] [ --version ] [ --width=n ]
	[ --ignore-non-functions ] [ --demangle[=STYLE] ]
	[ --no-demangle ] [ image-file ] [ profile-file ... ]

DESCRIPTION    [Toc]    [Back]

       "gprof"	produces  an execution profile of C, Pascal, or Fortran77 programs.
  The effect of called routines is incorporated in the profile of
       each  caller.   The  profile  data is taken from the call graph profile
       file (gmon.out default) which is created by programs that are  compiled
       with  the  -pg  option  of  "cc", "pc", and "f77".  The -pg option also
       links in versions of the library routines that are compiled for profiling.
   "Gprof" reads the given object file (the default is "a.out") and
       establishes the relation between its symbol table and  the  call  graph
       profile from gmon.out.  If more than one profile file is specified, the
       "gprof" output shows the sum of the profile information	in  the  given
       profile files.

       If  you use gcc 2.95.x or 3.0 to compile your binaries, you may need to
       add the -fprofile-arcs to the compile command line  in  order  for  the
       call graphs to be properly stored in gmon.out.

       "Gprof"	calculates  the  amount  of time spent in each routine.  Next,
       these times are propagated along the edges of the call  graph.	Cycles
       are  discovered,  and  calls into a cycle are made to share the time of
       the cycle.

       Several forms of output are available from the analysis.

       The flat profile shows how much time your program spent in  each  function,
  and how many times that function was called.  If you simply want
       to know which functions burn most of the cycles, it is stated concisely
       here.

       The  call  graph  shows,  for each function, which functions called it,
       which other functions it called, and how many times.  There is also  an
       estimate  of  how  much time was spent in the subroutines of each function.
  This can suggest places where you might try to  eliminate  function
 calls that use a lot of time.

       The  annotated  source  listing is a copy of the program's source code,
       labeled with the number of times each line of the program was executed.

OPTIONS    [Toc]    [Back]

       These  options  specify	which of several output formats "gprof" should
       produce.

       Many of these options take an optional symspec to specify functions  to
       be  included  or  excluded.   These  options  can be specified multiple
       times, with different symspecs, to include or exclude sets of  symbols.

       Specifying  any	of  these options overrides the default (-p -q), which
       prints a flat profile and call graph analysis for all functions.

       "-A[symspec]"
       "--annotated-source[=symspec]"
	   The -A option causes "gprof" to print annotated  source  code.   If
	   symspec is specified, print output only for matching symbols.

       "-b"
       "--brief"
	   If the -b option is given, "gprof" doesn't print the verbose blurbs
	   that try to explain the meaning of all of the fields in the tables.
	   This  is useful if you intend to print out the output, or are tired
	   of seeing the blurbs.

       "-C[symspec]"
       "--exec-counts[=symspec]"
	   The -C option causes "gprof" to print a tally of functions and  the
	   number  of  times  each was called.	If symspec is specified, print
	   tally only for matching symbols.

	   If the profile data file contains basic-block count records, specifying
  the  -l option, along with -C, will cause basic-block execution
 counts to be tallied and displayed.

       "-i"
       "--file-info"
	   The -i option causes "gprof" to display summary  information  about
	   the	profile  data file(s) and then exit.  The number of histogram,
	   call graph, and basic-block count records is displayed.

       "-I dirs"
       "--directory-path=dirs"
	   The -I option specifies a list of search directories  in  which  to
	   find  source  files.   Environment  variable GPROF_PATH can also be
	   used to convey this information.  Used mostly for annotated	source
	   output.

       "-J[symspec]"
       "--no-annotated-source[=symspec]"
	   The	-J  option  causes "gprof" not to print annotated source code.
	   If symspec is  specified,  "gprof"  prints  annotated  source,  but
	   excludes matching symbols.

       "-L"
       "--print-path"
	   Normally, source filenames are printed with the path component suppressed.
  The -L option causes "gprof" to print the	full  pathname
	   of  source  filenames,  which is determined from symbolic debugging
	   information in the image file and is relative to the  directory  in
	   which the compiler was invoked.

       "-p[symspec]"
       "--flat-profile[=symspec]"
	   The	-p  option causes "gprof" to print a flat profile.  If symspec
	   is specified, print flat profile only for matching symbols.

       "-P[symspec]"
       "--no-flat-profile[=symspec]"
	   The -P option causes "gprof" to suppress printing a	flat  profile.
	   If  symspec	is  specified,	"gprof"  prints  a  flat  profile, but
	   excludes matching symbols.

       "-q[symspec]"
       "--graph[=symspec]"
	   The -q option causes "gprof" to print the call graph analysis.   If
	   symspec  is	specified,  print call graph only for matching symbols
	   and their children.

       "-Q[symspec]"
       "--no-graph[=symspec]"
	   The -Q option causes "gprof" to suppress printing the  call	graph.
	   If  symspec is specified, "gprof" prints a call graph, but excludes
	   matching symbols.

       "-y"
       "--separate-files"
	   This  option  affects  annotated  source  output  only.   Normally,
	   "gprof"  prints annotated source files to standard-output.  If this
	   option is specified, annotated source for a file  named  path/file-
	   name  is  generated	in  the  file filename-ann.  If the underlying
	   filesystem would truncate filename-ann so that  it  overwrites  the
	   original  filename,	"gprof" generates annotated source in the file
	   filename.ann instead (if the original file name has	an  extension,
	   that extension is replaced with .ann).

       "-Z[symspec]"
       "--no-exec-counts[=symspec]"
	   The	-Z option causes "gprof" not to print a tally of functions and
	   the number of times each was  called.   If  symspec	is  specified,
	   print tally, but exclude matching symbols.

       "--function-ordering"
	   The	--function-ordering option causes "gprof" to print a suggested
	   function ordering for the program based on  profiling  data.   This
	   option suggests an ordering which may improve paging, tlb and cache
	   behavior for the program on systems which support arbitrary	ordering
 of functions in an executable.

	   The	exact details of how to force the linker to place functions in
	   a particular order is system dependent and out of the scope of this
	   manual.

       "--file-ordering map_file"
	   The	--file-ordering  option causes "gprof" to print a suggested .o
	   link line ordering for the program based on profiling  data.   This
	   option suggests an ordering which may improve paging, tlb and cache
	   behavior for the program on systems which do not support  arbitrary
	   ordering of functions in an executable.

	   Use of the -a argument is highly recommended with this option.

	   The	map_file argument is a pathname to a file which provides function
 name to object file mappings.  The format of the file is similar
 to the output of the program "nm".

		   c-parse.o:00000000 T yyparse
		   c-parse.o:00000004 C yyerrflag
		   c-lang.o:00000000 T maybe_objc_method_name
		   c-lang.o:00000000 T print_lang_statistics
		   c-lang.o:00000000 T recognize_objc_keyword
		   c-decl.o:00000000 T print_lang_identifier
		   c-decl.o:00000000 T print_lang_type
		   ...

	   To  create  a  map_file  with  GNU  "nm",  type  a command like "nm
	   --extern-only --defined-only -v --print-file-name program-name".

       "-T"
       "--traditional"
	   The -T option causes "gprof" to print its output in ``traditional''
	   BSD style.

       "-w width"
       "--width=width"
	   Sets  width	of  output  lines  to width.  Currently only used when
	   printing the function index at the bottom of the call graph.

       "-x"
       "--all-lines"
	   This option affects annotated source output only.  By default, only
	   the lines at the beginning of a basic-block are annotated.  If this
	   option is specified, every line in a basic-block  is  annotated  by
	   repeating the annotation for the first line.  This behavior is similar
 to "tcov"'s -a.

       "--demangle[=style]"
       "--no-demangle"
	   These options control whether C++ symbol names should be  demangled
	   when  printing  output.   The  default is to demangle symbols.  The
	   "--no-demangle" option may be used to turn off demangling.  Different
	compilers have different mangling styles.  The optional demangling
 style argument can be used to choose  an  appropriate	demangling
 style for your compiler.

       Analysis Options    [Toc]    [Back]


       "-a"
       "--no-static"
	   The -a option causes "gprof" to suppress the printing of statically
	   declared (private) functions.  (These are functions whose names are
	   not	listed	as  global,  and  which  are  not  visible outside the
	   file/function/block where they were defined.)  Time spent in  these
	   functions,  calls  to/from them, etc, will all be attributed to the
	   function that was loaded directly before it in the executable file.
	   This option affects both the flat profile and the call graph.

       "-c"
       "--static-call-graph"
	   The	-c option causes the call graph of the program to be augmented
	   by a heuristic which examines the text space of the object file and
	   identifies function calls in the binary machine code.  Since normal
	   call graph records are only generated when functions  are  entered,
	   this  option  identifies  children that could have been called, but
	   never were.	Calls to functions that were not compiled with profiling
	enabled  are also identified, but only if symbol table entries
	   are present for them.  Calls to dynamic library routines are  typically
 not found by this option.  Parents or children identified via
	   this heuristic are indicated in the call graph with call counts  of
	   0.

       "-D"
       "--ignore-non-functions"
	   The	-D option causes "gprof" to ignore symbols which are not known
	   to be functions.  This option will give more accurate profile  data
	   on systems where it is supported (Solaris and HPUX for example).

       "-k from/to"
	   The	-k  option  allows  you to delete from the call graph any arcs
	   from symbols matching symspec from to those matching symspec to.

       "-l"
       "--line"
	   The -l option enables line-by-line  profiling,  which  causes  histogram
  hits to be charged to individual source code lines, instead
	   of functions.  If the program was compiled with basic-block	counting
	enabled,  this	option	will also identify how many times each
	   line of code was executed.  While line-by-line profiling  can  help
	   isolate  where  in a large function a program is spending its time,
	   it also significantly increases the running time  of  "gprof",  and
	   magnifies statistical inaccuracies.

       "-m num"
       "--min-count=num"
	   This  option affects execution count output only.  Symbols that are
	   executed less than num times are suppressed.

       "-n[symspec]"
       "--time[=symspec]"
	   The -n option causes "gprof", in its call graph analysis,  to  only
	   propagate times for symbols matching symspec.

       "-N[symspec]"
       "--no-time[=symspec]"
	   The	-n  option  causes "gprof", in its call graph analysis, not to
	   propagate times for symbols matching symspec.

       "-z"
       "--display-unused-functions"
	   If you give the -z option, "gprof" will mention  all  functions  in
	   the	flat  profile, even those that were never called, and that had
	   no time spent in them.  This is useful in conjunction with  the  -c
	   option for discovering which routines were never called.

       Miscellaneous Options    [Toc]    [Back]


       "-d[num]"
       "--debug[=num]"
	   The -d num option specifies debugging options.  If num is not specified,
 enable all debugging.

       "-Oname"
       "--file-format=name"
	   Selects the format of the profile data files.   Recognized  formats
	   are	auto (the default), bsd, 4.4bsd, magic, and prof (not yet supported).


       "-s"
       "--sum"
	   The -s option causes "gprof" to summarize the  information  in  the
	   profile  data  files  it read in, and write out a profile data file
	   called gmon.sum, which contains all the information from  the  profile
 data files that "gprof" read in.  The file gmon.sum may be one
	   of the specified input files; the effect of this is	to  merge  the
	   data in the other input files into gmon.sum.

	   Eventually  you  can  run  "gprof"  again without -s to analyze the
	   cumulative data in the file gmon.sum.

       "-v"
       "--version"
	   The -v flag causes "gprof" to print the current version number, and
	   then exit.

       Deprecated Options    [Toc]    [Back]

	   These  options have been replaced with newer versions that use symspecs.


       "-e function_name"
	   The -e function option tells "gprof" to not print information about
	   the function function_name (and its children...) in the call graph.
	   The function will still be listed as a child of any functions  that
	   call it, but its index number will be shown as [not printed].  More
	   than one -e option may be given;  only  one	function_name  may  be
	   indicated with each -e option.

       "-E function_name"
	   The "-E function" option works like the "-e" option, but time spent
	   in the function (and children who were  not	called	from  anywhere
	   else),  will not be used to compute the percentages-of-time for the
	   call graph.	More than one -E option may be given; only  one  func-
	   tion_name may be indicated with each -E option.

       "-f function_name"
	   The	-f  function  option causes "gprof" to limit the call graph to
	   the function  function_name	and  its  children  (and  their  children...).
   More  than  one	-f option may be given; only one func-
	   tion_name may be indicated with each -f option.

       "-F function_name"
	   The -F function option works like the "-f" option,  but  only  time
	   spent in the function and its children (and their children...) will
	   be used to determine total-time  and  percentages-of-time  for  the
	   call  graph.   More than one -F option may be given; only one func-
	   tion_name may be indicated with each  -F  option.   The  -F	option
	   overrides the -E option.

FILES    [Toc]    [Back]

       "a.out"
	   the namelist and text space.

       "gmon.out"
	   dynamic call graph and profile.

       "gmon.sum"
	   summarized dynamic call graph and profile.

BUGS    [Toc]    [Back]

       The  granularity  of  the sampling is shown, but remains statistical at
       best.  We assume that the time for each execution of a function can  be
       expressed  by  the total time for the function divided by the number of
       times the function is called.  Thus the time propagated along the  call
       graph  arcs  to	the function's parents is directly proportional to the
       number of times that arc is traversed.

       Parents that are not themselves profiled will have the  time  of  their
       profiled  children propagated to them, but they will appear to be spontaneously
 invoked in the call graph listing, and will  not  have  their
       time  propagated further.  Similarly, signal catchers, even though profiled,
 will appear to be spontaneous (although for  more  obscure  reasons).
	Any  profiled  children  of  signal catchers should have their
       times propagated properly, unless the signal catcher was invoked during
       the execution of the profiling routine, in which case all is lost.

       The  profiled  program  must  call "exit"(2) or return normally for the
       profiling information to be saved in the gmon.out file.

SEE ALSO    [Toc]    [Back]

      
      
       monitor(3), profil(2), cc(1), prof(1), and the Info entry for gprof.

       ``An Execution Profiler	for  Modular  Programs'',  by  S.  Graham,  P.
       Kessler,  M. McKusick; Software - Practice and Experience, Vol. 13, pp.
       671-685, 1983.

       ``gprof: A Call Graph Execution Profiler'', by S. Graham,  P.  Kessler,
       M.  McKusick; Proceedings of the SIGPLAN '82 Symposium on Compiler Construction,
 SIGPLAN Notices, Vol. 17, No	6, pp. 120-126, June 1982.

COPYRIGHT    [Toc]    [Back]

       Copyright (C) 1988, 92, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 2001  Free  Software  Foundation,
 Inc.

       Permission  is  granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
       under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version  1.1  or
       any  later  version  published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
       Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with	no  Back-Cover
       Texts.	A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU
       Free Documentation License".



3rd Berkeley Distribution	  2002-04-18			      GPROF(1)
[ Back ]
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