Timestamp and Timer Classes

See also file common/timer.h

Measuring the time certain parts of an algorithm or the entire algorithm consume will often be of great interest. The STXXL provides build-in time measurement class stxxl::timer which can be used as follows:

#include <stxxl/timer>  // make timer class available

stxxl::timer Timer;  // create Timer object

Timer.start();

// code section which shall be measured

Timer.stop();

// get results:
STXXL_MSG(",easured time: " << (Timer.seconds()) << " (seconds), " << (Timer.mseconds()) << " (milliseconds), " << (Timer.useconds()) << " (microseconds))

Timer.reset();  // reset clock to zero which allows to run start() again

As an alternative, one can also work on the timestamp itself:

double start = stxxl::timestamp();

// code section to be measured

double stop = stxxl::timestamp();

STXXL_MSG("measured time: " << (stop - start) << " seconds.");