How Can I Efficiently Measure the Speed of My PHP Code?

Measuring the Speed of PHP Code: Two Effective Solutions

When comparing the efficiency of code classes performing identical tasks, it is crucial to evaluate their execution speed. This article presents two solutions to address this challenge:

Naïve Solution: Microtime Benchmarking

This method utilizes PHP's microtime(true) function to determine the duration of code execution. It involves placing the function before and after the code section to calculate the time elapsed. For instance, to measure the time taken to serialize an array:

$before = microtime(true);

for ($i = 0; $i < 100000; $i++) {
    serialize($list);
}

$after = microtime(true);
echo ($after - $before) / $i . " sec/serialize\n";

This solution is suitable for comparing short code snippets involving simple functions.

Advanced Solution: Xdebug Profiling

For profiling an entire script to identify bottlenecks, the Xdebug extension offers invaluable insights. Once installed, Xdebug generates profiling data that can be analyzed using compatible software. Three popular options include:

• Webgrind (web interface)
• WinCacheGrind (Windows-only)
• KCacheGrind (Linux/Unix preferred)

To configure Xdebug for profiling, modify the following settings in php.ini:

xdebug.profiler_enable = 0              ; Profiling disabled by default
xdebug.profiler_enable_trigger = 1      ; Enable profiling with GET parameter
xdebug.profiler_output_dir = /tmp/ouput_directory
xdebug.profiler_output_name = files_names

By passing the "XDEBUG_PROFILE" parameter in the URL, you can selectively trigger profiling for specific pages. The profiling data generated by Xdebug can be visualized in tools like KCacheGrind, providing a graphical representation of CPU time consumption, allowing you to identify performance bottlenecks.

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