PRB: Excluding Libraries with the Visual C++ Profiler

• The Microsoft Source Profiler included with: - Microsoft Visual C++, 32-bit Edition, versions 4.0, 4.1, 4.2, 5.0

SYMPTOMS

The documentation on "Selective Profiling" in the Visual C++ User's Guide, under the chapter "Profiling Code" says:

   ... The [profiler] section of TOOLS.INI specifies libraries and object
   (.OBJ) files for the profiler to ignore. By default, TOOLS.INI excludes
   the Win32 libraries, Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) libraries, and C
   run-time libraries...

Similarly, if you exclude a source file and profile for function timing or function coverage, the profiler does not exclude profiling information related to the functions defined in that source file. However, when you profile for line coverage, it does exclude profiling information for that source file.

See the More Information section below for an example.

RESOLUTION

Exclude the library for function timing and function coverage, and exclude the source file for line coverage.

You can exclude both the library and source files so that it will work for all profiling methods. You may get the following warning in this case, but you can safely ignore it.

   PREP : warning PRF4106: function/source/object/lib test.cpp was never
   matched

MORE INFORMATION

Follow these steps to see the behavior:

1. Create a new project of type static library with a Test.cpp file containing the following code and build a Test.lib file.

      void TestFunction()
      {
        int j = 0;
   
        for (int i = 0; i < 100; i++)
           j = i;
      }
   
   

2. Create another project of type console application with a Main.cpp file containing the following code:

      void TestFunction();
   
      void main()
      {
        TestFunction();
      }
   
   

3. Include Test.lib into this project and build Test.exe. Make sure you have the "Enable profiling" option checked in the Project Settings, Link tab.

4. Insert the following statement under the [profiler] section of TOOLS.INI file and make sure the INIT environment variable is pointing to the directory containing TOOLS.INI.

   exclude:Test.lib

5. Run the profiler by clicking the Tools, Profile menu and clicking Line coverage.