NAME

       bench_intro - bench introduction

DESCRIPTION

       The  bench (short for benchmark tools), is a set of related, yet different, entities which
       are working together for the easy creation and execution of performance test suites,  also
       known as benchmarks. These are

       [1]    A  tcl based language for the declaration of test cases. A test case is represented
              by a tcl command declaring the various parts needed  to  execute  it,  like  setup,
              cleanup, the commands to test, etc.

       [2]    A package providing the ability to execute test cases written in that language.

       Which  of  the  more  detailed  documents  are relevant to the reader of this introduction
       depends on their role in the benchmarking process.

       [1]    A writer of benchmarks has to understand the bench language itself. A  beginner  to
              bench  should  read  the more informally written bench language introduction first.
              Having  digested  this  the  formal  bench  language  specification  should  become
              understandable.  A  writer  experienced with bench may only need this last document
              from time to time, to refresh her memory.

       [2]    A user of benchmark suites written in the bench language has to  know  which  tools
              are  available  for use.  At the bottom level sits the package bench, providing the
              basic facilities to read and execute files containing  benchmarks  written  in  the
              bench language, and to manipulate benchmark results.

HISTORICAL NOTES

       This  module  and  package have been derived from Jeff Hobbs' tclbench application for the
       benchmarking of the Tcl core and its ancestor "runbench.tcl".

BUGS, IDEAS, FEEDBACK

       This document, and the package it describes,  will  undoubtedly  contain  bugs  and  other
       problems.    Please   report   such   in   the  category  bench  of  the  Tcllib  Trackers
       [http://core.tcl.tk/tcllib/reportlist].  Please also report any ideas for enhancements you
       may have for either package and/or documentation.

SEE ALSO

       bench, bench_lang_faq, bench_lang_intro, bench_lang_spec

KEYWORDS

       bench language, benchmark, performance, testing

CATEGORY

       Benchmark tools

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright (c) 2007 Andreas Kupries <andreas_kupries@users.sourceforge.net>