# `mix profile.tprof`
[🔗](https://github.com/elixir-lang/elixir/blob/7ff272706afc522e74121493b7166719985cb099/lib/mix/lib/mix/tasks/profile.tprof.ex#L4)

Profiles the given file or expression using Erlang's `tprof` tool.

[`:tprof`](`:tprof`) is an experimental module introduced in Erlang/OTP 27 which
provides a unified API for measuring call count, time, and allocation, and aims to
replace [`:eprof`](`:eprof`) and [`:cprof`](`:cprof`).
It can be useful when you want to discover the bottlenecks related to any of these
measurements.

Before running the code, it invokes the `app.start` task which compiles
and loads your project. After that, the target expression is profiled together
with all matching function calls using the Erlang trace BIFs. The tracing of
the function calls for that is enabled when the profiling is begun, and
disabled when profiling is stopped.

To profile the code, you can use syntax similar to the `mix run` task:

    $ mix profile.tprof -e Hello.world
    $ mix profile.tprof -e "[1, 2, 3] |> Enum.reverse |> Enum.map(&Integer.to_string/1)"
    $ mix profile.tprof my_script.exs arg1 arg2 arg3

By default, tprof uses the `time` type, but you can profile memory too:

    $ mix profile.tprof -e "Enum.map([1, 2, 3], &Integer.to_string/1)" --type memory

Call count is present with both type `time` and `memory`, but if you only need
the call count information, you can use the type `calls` which has the lowest footprint:

    $ mix profile.tprof -e "Enum.map([1, 2, 3], &Integer.to_string/1)" --type calls

This task is automatically re-enabled, so you can profile multiple times
in the same Mix invocation.

## Command line options

  * `--matching` - only profile calls matching the given `Module.function/arity` pattern
  * `--type` - the type of profiling, `calls`, `time` or `memory` (default: `time`)
  * `--calls` - filters out any results with a call count lower than this
  * `--time` - filters out any results that took lower than specified (in µs), the `type` needs to be `time`
  * `--memory` - filters out any results that used less memory than specified (in words), the `type` needs to be `memory`
  * `--sort` - sorts the results by `calls`, `per_call` or by the value of `type` (default: the value of `type`)
  * `--report` - returns the per-process breakdown when `process`, or the total for all processes when `total` (default: `process`).
    Always `total` when `type` is `calls`.
  * `--eval`, `-e` - evaluates the given code
  * `--require`, `-r` - requires pattern before running the command
  * `--parallel`, `-p` - makes all requires parallel
  * `--no-warmup` - skips the warmup step before profiling
  * `--no-compile` - does not compile even if files require compilation
  * `--no-deps-check` - does not check dependencies
  * `--no-archives-check` - does not check archives
  * `--no-halt` - does not halt the system after running the command
  * `--no-set-on-spawn` - does not profile spawned processes
  * `--no-start` - does not start applications after compilation
  * `--no-elixir-version-check` - does not check the Elixir version from mix.exs

## Profile output

Example output (`time` type):

    Profile results of #PID<0.107.0>
    #                                               CALLS      % TIME µS/CALL
    Total                                              20 100.00    2    0.10
    String.Chars.Integer.to_string/1                    5   0.00    0    0.00
    anonymous fn/0 in :elixir_compiler_1.__FILE__/1     1   0.00    0    0.00
    Enum.each/2                                         1   0.00    0    0.00
    Enum.reduce_range/5                                 3   0.00    0    0.00
    :erlang.integer_to_binary/1                         5  50.00    1    0.20
    anonymous fn/3 in Enum.each/2                       5  50.00    1    0.20

    Profile done over 6 matching functions

Example output (`memory` type):

    Profile results of #PID<0.107.0>
    #                           CALLS      % WORDS PER CALL
    Total                           6 100.00    19     3.17
    Enum.each/2                     1  21.05     4     4.00
    :erlang.integer_to_binary/1     5  78.95    15     3.00

    Profile done over 2 matching functions

Example output (`calls` type)

    Profile results over all processes
    #                                               CALLS      %
    Total                                              20 100.00
    anonymous fn/0 in :elixir_compiler_1.__FILE__/1     1   5.00
    Enum.each/2                                         1   5.00
    Enum.reduce_range/5                                 3  15.00
    :erlang.integer_to_binary/1                         5  25.00
    String.Chars.Integer.to_string/1                    5  25.00
    anonymous fn/3 in Enum.each/2                       5  25.00

    Profile done over 6 matching functions

The default output contains data gathered from all matching functions. The first
row after the header contains the sums of the partial results and the average time
or memory usage for all the function calls listed.
The following rows contain the function call, followed by the number of times that
the function was called, then by the percentage of time/memory that the call uses,
then the total time/memory for that function in microseconds/words, and, finally,
the average time/memory per call in microseconds/words.

When `--matching` option is specified, call count tracing will be started only for
the functions matching the given pattern:

    Profile results of #PID<0.106.0>
    #                                CALLS      % TIME µS/CALL
    Total                                5 100.00    1    0.20
    String.Chars.Integer.to_string/1     5 100.00    1    0.20

    Profile done over 1 matching functions

The pattern can be a module name, such as `String` to count all calls to that module,
a call without arity, such as `String.split`, to count all calls to that function
regardless of arity, or a call with arity, such as `String.split/3`, to count all
calls to that exact module, function and arity.

## Caveats

You should be aware that the code being profiled is running in an anonymous
function which is invoked by [`:tprof` module](`:tprof`).
Thus, you'll see some additional entries in your profile output. It is also
important to note that the profiler is stopped as soon as the code has finished running,
and this may need special attention, when: running asynchronous code as function calls which were
called before the profiler stopped will not be counted; running synchronous code as long
running computations and a profiler without a proper MFA trace pattern or filter may
lead to a result set which is difficult to comprehend.

You should expect a slowdown in your code execution using this tool since `:tprof` has
some performance impact on the execution, but the impact is considerably lower than
`Mix.Tasks.Profile.Fprof`. If you have a large system try to profile a limited
scenario or focus on the main modules or processes. The `calls` type can also be used,
which is more limited but has a lower footprint.

# `profile_opts`

```elixir
@type profile_opts() :: [
  matching: {module() | :_, atom() | :_, arity() | :_},
  type: :time | :memory | :calls,
  calls: non_neg_integer(),
  time: non_neg_integer(),
  memory: non_neg_integer(),
  sort: :calls | :per_call | :time | :memory,
  report: :process | :total,
  warmup: boolean(),
  set_on_spawn: boolean()
]
```

Options for the tprof profiler.

# `profile`

```elixir
@spec profile((-&gt; result), profile_opts()) :: result when result: any()
```

Allows to programmatically run the `tprof` profiler on expression in `fun`.

Returns the return value of `fun`.

## Options

  * `:matching` - only profile calls matching the given pattern in form of
    `{module, function, arity}`, where each element may be replaced by `:_`
    to allow any value
  * `:type` - the type of profiling, possible values are `:time`, `:memory` or `:calls`,
    (default: `:time`), see [moduledoc](`Mix.Tasks.Profile.Tprof`) for more information

  * `:calls` - filters out any results with a call count lower than this
  * `:time` - filters out any results that took lower than specified (in µs),
    `type` needs to be `:time`
  * `:memory` - filters out any results that used less memory than specified (in words),
    `type` needs to be `:memory`
  * `:sort` - sort the results by `:calls`, `:per_call` or by the value of `type`
    (default: the value of `type`)
  * `:report` - returns the per-process breakdown when `:process`, or the total for all
    processes when `:total` (default: `:process`). Always `:total` when `type` is `:calls`.
  * `:warmup` - if the code should be warmed up before profiling (default: `true`)
  * `:set_on_spawn` - if newly spawned processes should be measured (default: `true`)

---

*Consult [api-reference.md](api-reference.md) for complete listing*
