https://github.com/nclack/tictoc

High-resolution timer for Windows, OSX, and Linux
https://github.com/nclack/tictoc

Last synced: about 2 months ago
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High-resolution timer for Windows, OSX, and Linux

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/nclack/tictoc
• Owner: nclack
• License: mit
• Created: 2012-03-28T13:48:39.000Z (almost 13 years ago)
• Default Branch: master
• Last Pushed: 2015-08-28T17:20:39.000Z (over 9 years ago)
• Last Synced: 2023-03-11T18:16:59.843Z (almost 2 years ago)
• Language: C
• Homepage: http://nclack.github.com/tictoc/
• Size: 115 KB
• Stars: 23
• Watchers: 4
• Forks: 7
• Open Issues: 0
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • License: LICENSE

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README

        
# TicTocTimer

A high-resolution timer for Windows, OS X, and Linux.

Performance timers are useful for profiling and optimizing code, 

but using one typically involves system specific calls.  So, I

wrapped these up and put them behind a simple API.

## Incorporating into your project

 - Either build and link against the static library.

 - Or just copy tictoc.[ch] to your project.

 - On linux, you'll need to link against librt.

### With [CMake][4]:

 Unpack the source tree (or use git submodule) to a subdirectory in your project.

 For example, `modules/tictoc`.

```cmake

  add_subdirectory(modules/tictoc) #adds targets for the static library, tests, and docs

  link_directories(${tictoc_BINARY_DIR})

  include_directories(modules/tictoc)

  ...

  target_link_libraries(my-project tictoc)

```

## Usage

Simple example:

```c

#include "tictoc.h"

int main(int argc, char* argv[])

{ 

  TicTocTimer clock = tic();

  time_consuming_operation();

  printf("Elapsed time %f seconds.\n",toc(&clock)); // prints time since last tic()  

  another_time_consuming_operation();

  printf("Elapsed time %f seconds.\n",toc(&clock)); // prints time since last toc()

}

```

An even simpler example:

```c

#include "tictoc.h"

int main(int argc, char* argv[])

{ 

  tic();

  printf("%f\n",toc(0));

}

```

The last example uses a global timer.  Using the global timer from different threads 

may produce strange results.

## Reliability

The test suite runs tests for different resolutions that rely on some

implementation of `usleep()` to pause for semi-controlled lengths of 

time.  However, this isn't a reliable way to measure the actual 

precision of your system's timer.

You'll have to measure that for yourself according to what is appropriate for

your application.

## Details

* On Windows, tictoc uses [QueryPerformanceCounter][1]

* On OS X, tictoc uses [mach_absolute_time][2]

* On Linux, tictoc uses [clock_gettime][3]

[1]: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms644904(v=vs.85).aspx

[2]: https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/Darwin/Conceptual/KernelProgramming/services/services.html

[3]: http://www.tin.org/bin/man.cgi?section=3&topic=clock_gettime

[4]: http://www.cmake.org/