Manual Timing

Manual timing is a software development technique where developers manually insert code to measure the execution time of specific operations or functions in a program. It involves using timing functions or libraries to record timestamps before and after code execution, calculating the elapsed time to identify performance bottlenecks. This approach provides direct, fine-grained control over what is measured, but requires manual instrumentation and can be intrusive to the codebase.

Also known as: Manual profiling, Code timing, Hand-timed execution, Custom timing, Manual instrumentation

Why learn Manual Timing?

Developers should use manual timing when they need precise, targeted performance profiling for critical sections of code, such as optimizing algorithms, database queries, or rendering loops in applications. It is particularly useful during development and debugging phases to isolate slow operations, as it allows for custom timing logic and integration with specific performance metrics. However, for comprehensive or automated performance analysis, automated profiling tools are often preferred.

Learning Resources

• docs: Python time module documentation
• docs: MDN Web Docs: Performance API
• tutorial: Java System.nanoTime() tutorial
• docs: C++ chrono library guide
• video: YouTube: Manual Timing in Software Development