Computer system, program product and method for dynamically providing an indication to a programmer of the efficiency of a program that is being written

• US 6,622,299 B1
• Filed: 07/06/1999
• Issued: 09/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Weber, Dale Dean, Santosuosso, John Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo, Ted T.
• Application Number:
  US09/348,089
• Time in Patent Office: 1,533 Days
• Field of Search: 714/38, 717/127-131
• US Class Current: 717/127
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3466 Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/88 Monitoring involving counting

Abstract

A method, apparatus and program product provides an indication to a programmer of the efficiency of a created program and comprises monitoring of insertion and deletion of one or more functions within the program and determining a performance statistic for the function which is indicative of the efficiency of the function. A humanly perceptible output is provided to the programmer which is reflective of the performance statistic of the function to provide an indication to the programmer related to the efficiency of the created program.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically providing an indication to a programmer of the efficiency of a created program as that program is being written, the method comprising:

(a) generally simultaneous with the writing of software code by a programmer for the created program, monitoring the insertion and deletion, within the created program, of software code reflective of at least one function added to or removed from the program;

(b) determining a performance statistic for the function associated with the software code which is indicative of the efficiency of that the function;

(c) providing a humanly-perceptible output to the programmer, the output being reflective of the performance statistic of the function to provide an indication to the programmer related to the efficiency of the created program.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

(a) maintaining a counter indicative of the cumulative performance statistics associated with a plurality of functions in the created program;

(b) updating the counter when functions are inserted and deleted by the insertion or deletion of software code within the created program;

(c) providing a humanly-perceptible output corresponding to the counter.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said function is a preexisting function and the method step of determining an performance statistic for the function further comprises the steps of:

(a) associating a preexisting function with a preexisting performance statistic;

(b) when the preexisting function is one of inserted and deleted within the program by software code, obtaining the associated preexisting performance statistic to provide the indication to the programmer.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising maintaining, within a table, a plurality of preexisting performance statistics associated with a plurality of preexisting functions, the method step of associating a preexisting function with a preexisting performance statistic further comprising the step of:

(a) referring to the table when preexisting functions are added and deleted in software code within the created program.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said method step of determining a performance statistic for the function comprises the step of:

(a) in real time, executing the function;

(b) based upon the execution of the function, generating a performance statistic for the function.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(a) providing the output corresponding to the performance statistic of the function proximate to the line of software code corresponding to the function.

7. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

(a) providing the output corresponding to the counter proximate to the lines of software code corresponding to the functions.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing a humanly-perceptible output corresponding to the execution time statistic of the function occurs shortly after a function is one of inserted and deleted in software code within the program.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said performance statistic is an execution time statistic which is indicative of the amount of time that the function requires to execute.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said performance statistic is an instruction count statistic indicative of the number of instructions associated with the function.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said performance statistic is a cycles per instruction statistic which is indicative of the number of system cycles associated with instructions of the function.

12. An apparatus for dynamically providing an indication to a programmer of the efficiency of a created program as that program is being written, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a memory; and

(b) a program resident in memory, the program configured for, generally simultaneous with the writing of software code by the programmer for the created program, monitoring the insertion and deletion, within the created program of software code reflective of at least one function added to or removed from the program, and determining a performance statistic for the function associated with the software code which is indicative of the efficiency of the function, the program further configured for providing a humanly-perceptible output to the programmer, the output being reflective of the performance statistic of the function to provide an indication to the programmer related to the efficiency of the created program.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the program is configured for maintaining a counter indicative of the cumulative performance statistics associated with a plurality of functions in the created program and updating the counter when functions are inserted and deleted by the insertion or deletion of software code within the created program, the program further providing a humanly-perceptible output corresponding to the counter.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said function is a preexisting function and the program is further configured for associating a preexisting function with a preexisting performance statistic, and when the preexisting function is one of inserted and deleted by software code within the created program, obtaining the associated preexisting performance statistic to provide the indication to the programmer.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the program is further configured for maintaining within a table a plurality of preexisting performance statistics associated with a plurality of preexisting functions, and referring to the table when preexisting functions are added and deleted in software code within the created program.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said program is further configured for determining a performance statistic for the function by executing, in real time, the function and, based upon the efficiency of the function, generating a performance statistic for the function.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein a line of created program code corresponding to the insertion of a function in the created program is displayed on a display device, the program further providing the output corresponding to the performance statistic of the function on the display device proximate to the line of software code corresponding to the function.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein a line of created program code corresponding to the insertion of functions in the program is displayed on a display device, the program further providing the output corresponding to the counter on the display device proximate to the line of software code corresponding to the functions.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the program is further configured to provide a humanly-perceptible output corresponding to the execution time statistic of the function shortly after a function is one of inserted and deleted in software code within the created program.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said performance statistic is an execution time statistic which is indicative of the amount of time that the function requires to execute.

21. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said performance statistic is an instruction count statistic indicative of the number of instructions associated with the function.

22. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said performance statistic is a cycles per instruction statistic which is indicative of the number of system cycles associated with instructions of the function.

23. A program product for dynamically providing an indication to a programmer of the efficiency of a created program as that program is being written, the program product comprising:

(a) a program configured for, generally simultaneous with the writing of software code by a programmer for the created program, monitoring the insertion and deletion, within the created program of software code reflective of at least one function added to or removed from the program, and determining a performance statistic for the function associated with the software code which is indicative of the efficiency of the function, the program further configured for providing a humanly-perceptible output to the programmer, the output being reflective of the performance statistic of the function to provide an indication to the programmer related to the efficiency of the created program;

(b) a signal bearing media bearing the program.

24. The program product of claim 23 wherein the signal bearing media comprises at least one of a recordable media and a transmission type media.

25. The program product of claim 23 wherein the program is configured for maintaining a counter indicative of the cumulative performance statistics associated with a plurality of functions in the created program and updating the counter when functions are inserted and deleted by the insertion or deletion of software code within the created program, the program further providing a humanly-perceptible output corresponding to the counter.

26. The program product of claim 23 wherein said function is a preexisting function and the program is further configured for associating a preexisting function with a preexisting performance statistic, and when the preexisting function is one of inserted and deleted by software code within the created program, obtaining the associated preexisting performance time statistic to provide the indication to the programmer.

27. The program product of claim 26 wherein the program is further configured for maintaining within a table a plurality of preexisting execution time statistics associated with a plurality of preexisting functions, and referring to the table when preexisting functions are added and deleted in software code within the created program.

28. The program product of claim 23 wherein said program is further configured for determining a performance statistic for the function by executing, in real time, the function and, based upon the execution of the function, generating a performance statistic for the function.

29. The program product of claim 23 wherein a line of created program code corresponding to the insertion of a function in the created program is displayed on a display device, the program further providing the output corresponding to the execution time statistic of the function on the display device proximate to the line of software code corresponding to the function.

30. The program product of claim 23 wherein said performance statistic is an execution time statistic which is indicative of the amount of time that the function requires to execute.

31. The program product of claim 23 wherein said performance statistic is an instruction count statistic indicative of the number of instructions associated with the function.

32. The program product of claim 23 wherein said performance statistic is a cycles per instruction statistic which is indicative of the number of system cycles associated with instructions of the function.