Python Performance Validator Tutorial
This document is intended to augment the information in the Python Performance Validator Help file. If you have not read the help file we encourage you to do so. Python Performance Validator is a powerful and complex product, reading the help manual will help you use Python Performance Validator more efficiently.
Example Application
The example application is ppvExample.py in the ppvExample folder in the installation folder.
Before starting the tutorials, be sure to to click the Reset button on the settings dialog to reset the settings to a known state. Failure to do this may mean that following the tutorials will not give the results expected by the tutorial as a non-default setting may alter the behaviour of Python Performance Validator.
The following tutorials are available. More tutorials will be made available in response to customer feedback.
- Getting started. Introducing the example application.
- Why is Profiling Important?. Why Profiling should be a vital part of your software quality process.
- Types of profiling: Sampling and instrumentation. Exploring the types of profiling, their strengths and weaknesses.
- Callstack. Instantaneous view of your application.
- Raw Statistics, Statistics and Relations. Using statistics to guide your profiling.
- Call Tree. Using a hierarchical call tree to guide your profiling.
- Call Graph. Using a hierarchical call graph to guide your profiling.
- Analysis. Using a query driven hierarchical performance graph to guide your profiling.
- Line Timing. Identifying the slow part of an algorithm.
- How to restrict instrumentation to specific parts of your application.
- How to improve instrumentation speed.
- Customizing embedded statistics.
- Identifying slow code. How to quickly identify the parts of your application that are causing your application to run slowly.
- Reseting statistics. How to reset the statistics so that you can time an operation if you made a mistake on a previous timing run.
- Using stop and start. How to use Stop and Start to improve data collection.
Feedback
If you would like a tutorial on how to use Python Performance Validator to perform a given task, we will be happy to provide a tutorial, just let us know what topics you need the tutorial to cover. Send your suggestions to support@softwareverify.com.