The Performance Call Graph view

The Performance Call Graph view

The Performance Call Graph shows the dynamic call structure of the program you are profiling, and indicates where the program spends most of its time.

To open the Performance Call Graph, right-click a profiling resource in the Profiling Monitor and select Open With > Performance Call Graph from the pop-up menu.

Here are some tips for using the graph:

To scroll the contents of the graph, use the scroll bars. You can also click the background of the graph to display the hand cursor and then drag the cursor left, right, up, or down.
To view details about a node or an arc, pause the mouse cursor over the node or arc.

The Performance Call Graph can display the following information about items in the graph:

Data item Description
Method The name of the method over which you have paused the mouse cursor.
Source File If source code is available, the name of the source file for the selected method.
Calls The total number of calls made to the selected method.
Base Time The time spent in the selected method, excluding the times for any descendant methods.
Cumulative Time The Base Time for the selected method plus the times spent in all descendant methods on behalf of the selected method.
Min Time The smallest time recorded for a single invocation of the selected method.
Max Time The largest time recorded for a single invocation of the selected method.
Avg Time The average time per call spent in the selected method (Base Time/Calls).
Caller For an arc between nodes, the name of the calling node.
Descendant For an arc between nodes, the name of the descendant node.
Calls For an arc between nodes, the number of calls made to the Descendant by the Caller.
Propagated Time For an arc between nodes, the time spent in the Descendant on behalf of the Caller.

The following icons indicate whether all or only some descendants of a method are visible:

Icon Description

No descendants are visible. Click to expand all immediate descendants.

Only some of the immediate descendants are visible. Click to expand all immediate descendants.

All immediate descendants are visible. Click to collapse all descendants.
No icon following the method The method has no descendants.

The following controls and menu commands appear in the Performance Call Graph:

Control Command Description

Redo Layout Redraws the call graph in the default layout.

Toggle Overview Displays or hides the call graph overview.

Show Method Details Opens the Method Details view for the currently selected method.

Find Method... Lets you specify a method name to locate within the graph.

Graph Colors... Lets you change the colors used in the graph.

Navigate Back In the node selection history, navigates to the previously selected node.

Navigate Forward In the node selection history, navigates to the next selected node.
Pull-down menu Line Scale Factor Specifies how the lines in the graph are displayed. You can specify Unweighted or Linear. Linear line scaling uses the thickness of lines linking nodes to represent the distribution of measured resources from a node to its immediate neighbor, as a percentage of the total for the profiling run. The default is Linear.
Pull-down menu Method Name... Lets you change how method names are displayed in the Performance Call Graph view and the Method Details view.
Pull-down menu Time Units Lets you select the time units to use: seconds, milliseconds, or microseconds.
Pull-down menu Precision Lets you select the precision to use: 0.0 to 0.00000, or none.
Pop-up menu Refresh Views Repopulates all views with the most recent data for the selected profiling resource.
Pop-up menu Filter Includes or excludes methods from the analysis data set. For more information, see Performance Call Graph data commands.
Pop-up menu Subtree Hides, deletes, or focuses on a subtree. For more information, see Performance Call Graph data commands.
Pop-up menu Expand/Collapse Displays or hides the descendants of the selected method. For more information, see Performance Call Graph data commands.
Pop-up menu Open Source When source code for the selected method is available, opens the source file in the default editor.
Highlight drop-down list Hightlight Methods Highlights methods based upon criteria you select in the list. For more information, see Performance Call Graph data commands.
Zoom slider Zoom the graph Changes the scale of the graph.

Notes:
By default, the grouping separators are displayed in numeric values, for example: 1,244,329.68. You can turn off this setting in the Performance Call Graph preferences page.
Right-click in the call graph to display a pop-up menu for working with the call graph.

Parent topic
Performance bottleneck detection user interface reference

Related tasks
Getting information from the Performance Call Graph view
Customizing the Performance Call Graph view

Related reference
Performance Call Graph data commands

Data item	Description
Method	The name of the method over which you have paused the mouse cursor.
Source File	If source code is available, the name of the source file for the selected method.
Calls	The total number of calls made to the selected method.
Base Time	The time spent in the selected method, excluding the times for any descendant methods.
Cumulative Time	The Base Time for the selected method plus the times spent in all descendant methods on behalf of the selected method.
Min Time	The smallest time recorded for a single invocation of the selected method.
Max Time	The largest time recorded for a single invocation of the selected method.
Avg Time	The average time per call spent in the selected method (Base Time/Calls).
Caller	For an arc between nodes, the name of the calling node.
Descendant	For an arc between nodes, the name of the descendant node.
Calls	For an arc between nodes, the number of calls made to the Descendant by the Caller.
Propagated Time	For an arc between nodes, the time spent in the Descendant on behalf of the Caller.

Icon	Description
	No descendants are visible. Click to expand all immediate descendants.
	Only some of the immediate descendants are visible. Click to expand all immediate descendants.
	All immediate descendants are visible. Click to collapse all descendants.
No icon following the method	The method has no descendants.

Control	Command	Description
	Redo Layout	Redraws the call graph in the default layout.
	Toggle Overview	Displays or hides the call graph overview.
	Show Method Details	Opens the Method Details view for the currently selected method.
	Find Method...	Lets you specify a method name to locate within the graph.
	Graph Colors...	Lets you change the colors used in the graph.
	Navigate Back	In the node selection history, navigates to the previously selected node.
	Navigate Forward	In the node selection history, navigates to the next selected node.
Pull-down menu	Line Scale Factor	Specifies how the lines in the graph are displayed. You can specify Unweighted or Linear. Linear line scaling uses the thickness of lines linking nodes to represent the distribution of measured resources from a node to its immediate neighbor, as a percentage of the total for the profiling run. The default is Linear.
Pull-down menu	Method Name...	Lets you change how method names are displayed in the Performance Call Graph view and the Method Details view.
Pull-down menu	Time Units	Lets you select the time units to use: seconds, milliseconds, or microseconds.
Pull-down menu	Precision	Lets you select the precision to use: 0.0 to 0.00000, or none.
Pop-up menu	Refresh Views	Repopulates all views with the most recent data for the selected profiling resource.
Pop-up menu	Filter	Includes or excludes methods from the analysis data set. For more information, see Performance Call Graph data commands.
Pop-up menu	Subtree	Hides, deletes, or focuses on a subtree. For more information, see Performance Call Graph data commands.
Pop-up menu	Expand/Collapse	Displays or hides the descendants of the selected method. For more information, see Performance Call Graph data commands.
Pop-up menu	Open Source	When source code for the selected method is available, opens the source file in the default editor.
Highlight drop-down list	Hightlight Methods	Highlights methods based upon criteria you select in the list. For more information, see Performance Call Graph data commands.
Zoom slider	Zoom the graph	Changes the scale of the graph.