# benchmark.rb - a performance benchmarking library
# $Id: benchmark.rb 15425 2008-02-10 15:24:56Z naruse $
# Created by Gotoken (gotoken@notwork.org).
# Documentation by Gotoken (original RD), Lyle Johnson (RDoc conversion), and
# Gavin Sinclair (editing).
# The Benchmark module provides methods for benchmarking Ruby code, giving
# detailed reports on the time taken for each task.
# The Benchmark module provides methods to measure and report the time
# used to execute Ruby code.
# * Measure the time to construct the string given by the expression
# <tt>"a"*1_000_000</tt>:
# puts Benchmark.measure { "a"*1_000_000 }
# On my machine (FreeBSD 3.2 on P5, 100MHz) this generates:
# 1.166667 0.050000 1.216667 ( 0.571355)
# This report shows the user CPU time, system CPU time, the sum of
# the user and system CPU times, and the elapsed real time. The unit
# * Do some experiments sequentially using the #bm method:
# x.report { for i in 1..n; a = "1"; end }
# x.report { n.times do ; a = "1"; end }
# x.report { 1.upto(n) do ; a = "1"; end }
# 1.033333 0.016667 1.016667 ( 0.492106)
# 1.483333 0.000000 1.483333 ( 0.694605)
# 1.516667 0.000000 1.516667 ( 0.711077)
# * Continuing the previous example, put a label in each report:
# x.report("for:") { for i in 1..n; a = "1"; end }
# x.report("times:") { n.times do ; a = "1"; end }
# x.report("upto:") { 1.upto(n) do ; a = "1"; end }
# for: 1.050000 0.000000 1.050000 ( 0.503462)
# times: 1.533333 0.016667 1.550000 ( 0.735473)
# upto: 1.500000 0.016667 1.516667 ( 0.711239)
# * The times for some benchmarks depend on the order in which items
# are run. These differences are due to the cost of memory
# allocation and garbage collection. To avoid these discrepancies,
# the #bmbm method is provided. For example, to compare ways to
# sort an array of floats:
# array = (1..1000000).map { rand }
# x.report("sort!") { array.dup.sort! }
# x.report("sort") { array.dup.sort }
# Rehearsal -----------------------------------------
# sort! 11.928000 0.010000 11.938000 ( 12.756000)
# sort 13.048000 0.020000 13.068000 ( 13.857000)
# ------------------------------- total: 25.006000sec
# sort! 12.959000 0.010000 12.969000 ( 13.793000)
# sort 12.007000 0.000000 12.007000 ( 12.791000)
# * Report statistics of sequential experiments with unique labels,
# using the #benchmark method:
# Benchmark.benchmark(" "*7 + CAPTION, 7, FMTSTR, ">total:", ">avg:") do |x|
# tf = x.report("for:") { for i in 1..n; a = "1"; end }
# tt = x.report("times:") { n.times do ; a = "1"; end }
# tu = x.report("upto:") { 1.upto(n) do ; a = "1"; end }
# [tf+tt+tu, (tf+tt+tu)/3]
# for: 1.016667 0.016667 1.033333 ( 0.485749)
# times: 1.450000 0.016667 1.466667 ( 0.681367)
# upto: 1.533333 0.000000 1.533333 ( 0.722166)
# >total: 4.000000 0.033333 4.033333 ( 1.889282)
# >avg: 1.333333 0.011111 1.344444 ( 0.629761)
BENCHMARK_VERSION = "2002-04-25" #:nodoc"
def Benchmark::times() # :nodoc:
# Invokes the block with a <tt>Benchmark::Report</tt> object, which
# may be used to collect and report on the results of individual
# benchmark tests. Reserves <i>label_width</i> leading spaces for
# labels on each line. Prints _caption_ at the top of the
# report, and uses _fmt_ to format each line.
# If the block returns an array of
# <tt>Benchmark::Tms</tt> objects, these will be used to format
# additional lines of output. If _label_ parameters are
# given, these are used to label these extra lines.
# _Note_: Other methods provide a simpler interface to this one, and are
# suitable for nearly all benchmarking requirements. See the examples in
# Benchmark, and the #bm and #bmbm methods.
# include Benchmark # we need the CAPTION and FMTSTR constants
# Benchmark.benchmark(" "*7 + CAPTION, 7, FMTSTR, ">total:", ">avg:") do |x|
# tf = x.report("for:") { for i in 1..n; a = "1"; end }
# tt = x.report("times:") { n.times do ; a = "1"; end }
# tu = x.report("upto:") { 1.upto(n) do ; a = "1"; end }
# [tf+tt+tu, (tf+tt+tu)/3]
# for: 1.016667 0.016667 1.033333 ( 0.485749)
# times: 1.450000 0.016667 1.466667 ( 0.681367)
# upto: 1.533333 0.000000 1.533333 ( 0.722166)
# >total: 4.000000 0.033333 4.033333 ( 1.889282)
# >avg: 1.333333 0.011111 1.344444 ( 0.629761)
def benchmark(caption = "", label_width = nil, fmtstr = nil, *labels) # :yield: report
raise ArgumentError, "no block" unless iterator?
results = yield(Report.new(label_width, fmtstr))
Array === results and results.grep(Tms).each {|t|
print((labels.shift || t.label || "").ljust(label_width),
# A simple interface to the #benchmark method, #bm is generates sequential reports
# with labels. The parameters have the same meaning as for #benchmark.
# x.report("for:") { for i in 1..n; a = "1"; end }
# x.report("times:") { n.times do ; a = "1"; end }
# x.report("upto:") { 1.upto(n) do ; a = "1"; end }
# for: 1.050000 0.000000 1.050000 ( 0.503462)
# times: 1.533333 0.016667 1.550000 ( 0.735473)
# upto: 1.500000 0.016667 1.516667 ( 0.711239)
def bm(label_width = 0, *labels, &blk) # :yield: report
benchmark(" "*label_width + CAPTION, label_width, FMTSTR, *labels, &blk)
# Sometimes benchmark results are skewed because code executed
# earlier encounters different garbage collection overheads than
# that run later. #bmbm attempts to minimize this effect by running
# the tests twice, the first time as a rehearsal in order to get the
# runtime environment stable, the second time for
# real. <tt>GC.start</tt> is executed before the start of each of
# the real timings; the cost of this is not included in the
# timings. In reality, though, there's only so much that #bmbm can
# do, and the results are not guaranteed to be isolated from garbage
# collection and other effects.
# Because #bmbm takes two passes through the tests, it can
# calculate the required label width.
# array = (1..1000000).map { rand }
# x.report("sort!") { array.dup.sort! }
# x.report("sort") { array.dup.sort }
# Rehearsal -----------------------------------------
# sort! 11.928000 0.010000 11.938000 ( 12.756000)
# sort 13.048000 0.020000 13.068000 ( 13.857000)
# ------------------------------- total: 25.006000sec
# sort! 12.959000 0.010000 12.969000 ( 13.793000)
# sort 12.007000 0.000000 12.007000 ( 12.791000)
# #bmbm yields a Benchmark::Job object and returns an array of
# Benchmark::Tms objects.
def bmbm(width = 0, &blk) # :yield: job
puts '-'*(width+CAPTION.length - "Rehearsal ".length)
job.list.each{|label,item|
print(label.ljust(width))
res = Benchmark::measure(&item)
sum = Tms.new; list.each{|i| sum += i}
ets = sum.format("total: %tsec")
"-"*(width+CAPTION.length-ets.length-1), ets)
job.list.each{|label,item|
res = Benchmark::measure(&item)
# Returns the time used to execute the given block as a
def measure(label = "") # :yield:
t0, r0 = Benchmark.times, Time.now
t1, r1 = Benchmark.times, Time.now
Benchmark::Tms.new(t1.utime - t0.utime,
# Returns the elapsed real time used to execute the given block.
def realtime(&blk) # :yield:
# A Job is a sequence of labelled blocks to be processed by the
# Benchmark.bmbm method. It is of little direct interest to the user.
# Returns an initialized Job instance.
# Usually, one doesn't call this method directly, as new
# Job objects are created by the #bmbm method.
# _width_ is a initial value for the label offset used in formatting;
# the #bmbm method passes its _width_ argument to this constructor.
# Registers the given label and block pair in the job list.
def item(label = "", &blk) # :yield:
raise ArgumentError, "no block" unless block_given?
# An array of 2-element arrays, consisting of label and block pairs.
# Length of the widest label in the #list, plus one.
module_function :benchmark, :measure, :realtime, :bm, :bmbm
# This class is used by the Benchmark.benchmark and Benchmark.bm methods.
# It is of little direct interest to the user.
# Returns an initialized Report instance.
# Usually, one doesn't call this method directly, as new
# Report objects are created by the #benchmark and #bm methods.
# _width_ and _fmtstr_ are the label offset and
# format string used by Tms#format.
def initialize(width = 0, fmtstr = nil)
@width, @fmtstr = width, fmtstr
# Prints the _label_ and measured time for the block,
# formatted by _fmt_. See Tms#format for the
def item(label = "", *fmt, &blk) # :yield:
print label.ljust(@width)
res = Benchmark::measure(&blk)
print res.format(@fmtstr, *fmt)
# A data object, representing the times associated with a benchmark
CAPTION = " user system total real\n"
FMTSTR = "%10.6u %10.6y %10.6t %10.6r\n"
# User CPU time of children
# System CPU time of children
# Total time, that is _utime_ + _stime_ + _cutime_ + _cstime_
# Returns an initialized Tms object which has
# _u_ as the user CPU time, _s_ as the system CPU time,
# _cu_ as the children's user CPU time, _cs_ as the children's
# system CPU time, _real_ as the elapsed real time and _l_
def initialize(u = 0.0, s = 0.0, cu = 0.0, cs = 0.0, real = 0.0, l = nil)
@utime, @stime, @cutime, @cstime, @real, @label = u, s, cu, cs, real, l
@total = @utime + @stime + @cutime + @cstime
# Returns a new Tms object whose times are the sum of the times for this
# Tms object, plus the time required to execute the code block (_blk_).
self + Benchmark::measure(&blk)
# An in-place version of #add.
t = Benchmark::measure(&blk)
@cutime = cutime + t.cutime
@cstime = cstime + t.cstime
# Returns a new Tms object obtained by memberwise summation
# of the individual times for this Tms object with those of the other
# This method and #/() are useful for taking statistics.
def +(other); memberwise(:+, other) end
# Returns a new Tms object obtained by memberwise subtraction
# of the individual times for the other Tms object from those of this
def -(other); memberwise(:-, other) end
# Returns a new Tms object obtained by memberwise multiplication
# of the individual times for this Tms object by _x_.
def *(x); memberwise(:*, x) end
# Returns a new Tms object obtained by memberwise division
# of the individual times for this Tms object by _x_.
# This method and #+() are useful for taking statistics.
def /(x); memberwise(:/, x) end
# Returns the contents of this Tms object as
# a formatted string, according to a format string
# like that passed to Kernel.format. In addition, #format
# accepts the following extensions:
# <tt>%u</tt>:: Replaced by the user CPU time, as reported by Tms#utime.
# <tt>%y</tt>:: Replaced by the system CPU time, as reported by #stime (Mnemonic: y of "s*y*stem")
# <tt>%U</tt>:: Replaced by the children's user CPU time, as reported by Tms#cutime
# <tt>%Y</tt>:: Replaced by the children's system CPU time, as reported by Tms#cstime
# <tt>%t</tt>:: Replaced by the total CPU time, as reported by Tms#total
# <tt>%r</tt>:: Replaced by the elapsed real time, as reported by Tms#real
# <tt>%n</tt>:: Replaced by the label string, as reported by Tms#label (Mnemonic: n of "*n*ame")
# If _fmtstr_ is not given, FMTSTR is used as default value, detailing the
# user, system and real elapsed time.
def format(arg0 = nil, *args)
fmtstr = (arg0 || FMTSTR).dup
fmtstr.gsub!(/(%[-+\.\d]*)n/){"#{$1}s" % label}
fmtstr.gsub!(/(%[-+\.\d]*)u/){"#{$1}f" % utime}