adding gprof page

This commit is contained in:
Jidong Xiao
2025-02-24 21:51:47 -05:00
committed by JamesFlare
parent bcbf1ac700
commit 0dae55a634

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```markdown
# C++ Profiling with `gprof`
## What is `gprof`?
`gprof` is a GNU profiler that helps analyze where a program spends most of its execution time. It provides function call counts and execution time details.
## Installing `gprof`
```sh
sudo apt-get install binutils
```
## Compiling a C++ Program for Profiling
To use `gprof`, compile your program with the `-pg` flag:
```sh
g++ -pg -o my_program my_program.cpp
```
## Example C++ Program
Create a file `my_program.cpp` with the following code:
```cpp
#include <iostream>
#include <chrono>
#include <thread>
void slowFunction() {
std::this_thread::sleep_for(std::chrono::seconds(1));
}
void fastFunction() {
for (volatile int i = 0; i < 1000000; ++i);
}
int main() {
for (int i = 0; i < 5; ++i) slowFunction();
for (int i = 100; i < 200; ++i) fastFunction();
return 0;
}
```
## Running and Profiling the Program
1. Compile the program:
```sh
g++ -pg -o my_program my_program.cpp
```
2. Execute the program to generate `gmon.out`:
```sh
./my_program
```
3. Analyze the profiling data:
```sh
gprof my_program gmon.out > profile.txt
cat profile.txt
```
## Understanding the Output
- **Flat Profile**: Shows execution time spent in each function.
- **Call Graph**: Displays function call relationships and their execution time.
## Best Practices for Using `gprof`
- Use `-O2` optimizations but **avoid `-O3`**, which may inline functions and reduce profiling accuracy.
- Profile with realistic input data to get meaningful results.
- Optimize the slowest functions first based on the profiling report.
## Conclusion
`gprof` is a powerful tool for detecting performance bottlenecks in C++ programs. By identifying expensive functions, developers can make targeted optimizations.
```