1[comment {-*- tcl -*- doctools manpage}]
2[manpage_begin bench_intro n 1.0]
3[copyright {2007 Andreas Kupries <andreas_kupries@users.sourceforge.net>}]
4[moddesc   {Benchmarking/Performance tools}]
5[titledesc {bench introduction}]
6[category  {Benchmark tools}]
7[description]
8[para]
9
10The [term bench] (short for [emph {benchmark tools}]), is a set of
11related, yet different, entities which are working together for the
12easy creation and execution of performance test suites, also known as
13benchmarks. These are
14
15[list_begin enumerated]
16[enum]
17
18A tcl based language for the declaration of test cases. A test case is
19represented by a tcl command declaring the various parts needed to
20execute it, like setup, cleanup, the commands to test, etc.
21
22[enum]
23
24A package providing the ability to execute test cases written in that
25language.
26
27[comment {
28[enum]
29In the future we will also provide an application which wraps around the package.
30}]
31[list_end]
32
33[para]
34
35Which of the more detailed documents are relevant to the reader of
36this introduction depends on their role in the benchmarking process.
37
38[para]
39
40[list_begin enumerated]
41[enum]
42
43A [term writer] of benchmarks has to understand the bench language
44itself. A beginner to bench should read the more informally written
45[term {bench language introduction}] first. Having digested this the
46formal [term {bench language specification}] should become
47understandable. A writer experienced with bench may only need this
48last document from time to time, to refresh her memory.
49
50[comment {
51[para]
52
53While a benchmark is written the [syscmd bench] application can be
54used to validate it, and after completion it also performs the
55execution of the whole benchmark suite.
56}]
57
58[enum]
59A [term user] of benchmark suites written in the [term bench] language
60has to know which tools are available for use.
61
62[comment {
63[para]
64
65The main tool is the aforementioned [syscmd bench] application
66provided by Tcllib.
67}]
68
69At the bottom level sits the package [package bench], providing the
70basic facilities to read and execute files containing benchmarks
71written in the bench language, and to manipulate benchmark results.
72
73[list_end]
74
75
76[section {HISTORICAL NOTES}]
77
78This module and package have been derived from Jeff Hobbs'
79[syscmd tclbench] application for the benchmarking of the Tcl core and
80its ancestor [file runbench.tcl].
81
82
83[section {BUGS, IDEAS, FEEDBACK}]
84
85This document, will undoubtedly contain bugs and other problems.
86
87Please report such in the category [emph bench] of the
88[uri {http://sourceforge.net/tracker/?group_id=12883} {Tcllib SF Trackers}].
89
90Please also report any ideas for enhancements you may have.
91
92[see_also bench_lang_intro]
93[see_also bench_lang_spec]
94[see_also bench_lang_faq]
95[see_also bench]
96[keywords testing performance benchmark {bench language}]
97[manpage_end]
98