________________________________________________________________________

This file is part of Logtalk <https://logtalk.org/>  
Copyright 1998-2021 Paulo Moura <pmoura@logtalk.org>  
SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0

Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
You may obtain a copy of the License at

    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
limitations under the License.
________________________________________________________________________


`profiler`
==========

This tool contains simple wrappers for selected Prolog profiler tools.


Loading
-------

This tool can be loaded using the query:

	?- logtalk_load(profiler(loader)).

For sample queries, please see the `SCRIPT.txt` file in the tool directory.


Testing
-------

To test this tool, load the `tester.lgt` file:

	| ?- logtalk_load(profiler(tester)).


Supported backend Prolog compilers
----------------------------------

Currently, this tool supports the profilers provided with SICStus Prolog 4,
SWI-Prolog, and YAP. The tool includes two files:

- `yap_profiler.lgt`  
	simple wrapper for the YAP count profiler

- `sicstus_profiler.lgt`  
	simple wrapper for the SICStus Prolog 4 profiler

Logtalk also supports the YAP tick profiler (using the latest YAP development
version) and the SWI-Prolog XPCE profiler. When using the XPCE profiler,
you can avoid profiling the Logtalk compiler (which is invoked e.g. when
you use the `::/2` message-sending operator at the top-level interpreter) by
compiling your code with the `optimize` flag turned on:

	?- set_logtalk_flag(optimize, on).
	true.

	?- use_module(library(statistics)).
	true.

	?- profile(... :: ...).
	...

Given that `prolog_statistics:profile/1` is a meta-predicate, Logtalk will
compile its argument before calling it thanks to the `goal_expansion/2` hook
predicate definitions in the adapter file. Without this hook definition, you
would need to use instead (to avoid profiling the compiler itself):

	?- logtalk << (prolog_statistics:profile(... :: ...)).
	...

In either case, Don't forget, however, to load the `prolog_statistics` module
*before* using or compiling calls to the `profile/1` to allow the Logtalk
compiler to access its meta-predicate template.

The profiler support attempts to conceal internal Logtalk compiler/runtime
predicates and the generated entity predicates that implement predicate
inheritance. Calls to internal compiler and runtime predicates have functors
starting with `$lgt_`. Calls to predicates with functors such as `_def`,
`_dcl`, or `_super`, used to implement inheritance, may still be listed in
a few cases. Note that the time and the number of calls/redos of concealed
predicates is added to the caller predicates.


Compiling source code for profiling
-----------------------------------

In order to get user-level object and predicate names instead of compiler
generated internal names when using the SWI-Prolog and YAP profilers, you
must set `code_prefix` flag to a character other than the default `$` before
compiling your source code. For example:

	?- set_logtalk_flag(code_prefix, '.').

See also the `settings-sample.lgt` file for automating the necessary setup
at Logtalk startup.
