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NAME

       gprof - display call graph profile data

SYNOPSIS

       gprof [ -[abcDhilLrsTvwxyz] ] [ -[ACeEfFJnNOpPqQZ][name] ]
        [ -I dirs ] [ -d[num] ] [ -k from/to ]
        [ -m min-count ] [ -R map_file ] [ -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 map_file ] [ --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

       "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.

       "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

       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.

       "-t"
       "--table-length=num"
           The -t option causes the num most active source lines in each source file to be listed
           when source annotation is enabled.  The default is 10.

       "-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/filename  is  generated in the file filename-ann.  If the underlying
           file system 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.

       "-r"
       "--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.

       "-R map_file"
       "--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

       "-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.   This  feature  only
           works  with programs compiled by older versions of the "gcc" compiler.  Newer versions
           of "gcc" are designed to work with the "gcov" tool instead.

           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.

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

       "-Nsymspec"
       "--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

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

       "-h"
       "--help"
           The -h option prints command line usage.

       "-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

           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 function_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 function_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 function_name may be indicated with each -F option.  The -F option  overrides  the
           -E option.

FILES

       "a.out"
           the namelist and text space.

       "gmon.out"
           dynamic call graph and profile.

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

BUGS

       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

       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

       Copyright (c) 1988, 92, 97, 98, 99, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007 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".