## SYNOPSIS

           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

           "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  pro
           file  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 rou
           tine.  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  sug
           gest  places  where  you  might  try to eliminate function
           calls that use a lot of time.

           -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 func
               tions  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 infor
               mation  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 informa
               tion.  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
               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, anno
               tated source for a file named path/filename is  gener
               ated  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 exten
               sion 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  match
               ing 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 order
               ing 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
                       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/func
               tion/block  where  they  were defined.)  Time spent in
               these functions, calls to/from them, etc, will all  be
               fied, 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 identi
               fied 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 sup
               ported (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  pro
               gram  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 profil
               ing can help isolate where in a large function a  pro
               gram  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.  Sym
               bols that are executed less than num  times  are  sup
               pressed.

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

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

           "-z"
           "--display-unused-functions"
               If  you  give  the -z option, "gprof" will mention all
               is not specified, enable all debugging.

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

           "-s"
           "--sum"
               The -s option causes "gprof" to summarize the informa
               tion  in  the profile data files it read in, and write
               out a profile data file called  gmon.sum,  which  con
               tains  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  ver
               sion 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 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 chil

           "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 sta
           tistical at best.  We assume that the time for each execu
           tion 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  pro
           filed,  will  appear  to be spontaneous (although for more
           obscure reasons).  Any profiled children of signal  catch
           ers  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 nor
           mally 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. Gra
           ham,  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 Free Soft
           ware Foundation, Inc.

           Permission is granted to copy,  distribute  and/or  modify
           this  document  under the terms of the GNU Free Documenta