Timer::Runtime proposed

Here's a module I made that gets a lot of use. It times the total runtime of a perl script and prints the runtime and script name at the terminal. The only thing needed to make it time a script is to put "use Timer::Runtime" into the script.

I'd like to request some peer review and ask for any suggestions.

The output if this is used on 'myscript.pl' would look like:

myscript.pl Started: Thu Aug 12 20:34:49 2010
myscript.pl Finished: Thu Aug 12 20:34:49 2010, time = 00:00:00.000114
[download]

Here is what the module looks like:

package Timer::Runtime;
use strict;

use Time::Elapse;

Time::Elapse->lapse( my $now);

BEGIN {
    print "$0 Started: " . ( scalar localtime ) . "\n";
}

END {
    print "$0 Finished: " . ( scalar localtime ) . ", time = $now\n";
}

1;

=head1 NAME

Timer::Runtime

=head1 SYNOPSIS

Wrap a script up with only a use statement to denote its start, stop, 
+and duration times to STDOUT.

=head1 DESCRIPTION

=over

    use Timer::Runtime;
    
    #  output
    <script_name> Started: Thu Aug 12 20:34:49 2010
    <script_name> Finished: Thu Aug 12 20:34:49 2010, time = 00:00:00.
+000114

   
=back

=head1 Author

awohld

=cut
[download]

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Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Timer::Runtime proposed by Anonymous Monk on Mar 28, 2011 at 03:32 UTC
I would check $^T, then I would patch Devel::Timer by studying Devel::Modlist, so that `perl -d:Timer myProgram.pl` [download] works the way you have `use Timer::Runtime;`, and I'd also make sure `use Devel::Timer -startEnd;` [download] works the same way , so as not to interfere with Devel::Timers existing functionality. I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: Timer::Runtime proposed by awohld (Hermit) on Mar 28, 2011 at 23:24 UTC
I like your suggestion. I'm going to look into Devel::Timer and not creating a new module form scratch. Thanks	[reply]
Re: Timer::Runtime proposed by JavaFan (Canon) on Mar 28, 2011 at 12:29 UTC
Due to the use of `END`, the program will not display a parting message on either a serious error (preventing END blocks to be run), or when doing an exec (which doesn't run END blocks). Personally, I prefer the `time(1)` utility, which doesn't suffer from the problems mentioned above, shows more detailed output (defaults to real/user/sys times, but can be show (much) more, specially GNU time), and doesn't actually change the program run.	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: Timer::Runtime proposed by awohld (Hermit) on Mar 28, 2011 at 23:31 UTC
The END block error with 'exec' is pretty serious and explains some of the problems I've been having. Looks like the implementation of my module is not a very good idea.	[reply]
Re^2: Timer::Runtime proposed by awohld (Hermit) on Mar 29, 2011 at 08:14 UTC
What if in the START block I started a OO timer and then in it's destroy method, calculated the stop time and printed it? I think that would get around the END problems.	[reply]
Re^3: Timer::Runtime proposed by JavaFan (Canon) on Mar 29, 2011 at 09:07 UTC
Did you try whether it works? Seems easier than asking here whether it does. `$ perl -wE 'sub DESTROY {say "ping"} my $x = bless [];' ping $ perl -wE 'sub DESTROY {say "ping"} my $x = bless []; exec "echo"' $` [download] Alternatively, one could have consulted the manual page: `Note that "exec" will not call your "END" blocks, nor will it invoke "DESTROY" methods on your objects.` [download]	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^3: Timer::Runtime proposed by Anonymous Monk on Mar 29, 2011 at 08:29 UTC
AFAIK, that is the best that you can do, see die rather than exit on out-of-memory failure?	[reply]