Hi, Paul - 

This may help:

    https://docs.appeon.com/pb2021/pbug/Tracing_and_Profiling_Applications.html#ug94233

Best regards, John

Hi Paul,

Have a look at these 2 links for more info on tracing as the /pbdebug option, as explained, is just one approach:
https://docs.appeon.com/pb2019/pbug/ch33s08.html
https://docs.appeon.com/pb2019/pbug/ch32s05.html

As well, John Strano provided an excellent session at Elevate 2021 on this very subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwqytkvDkUg

HTH...regards,

Mark

Hi Paul;

  Mark's links should provide you with a good overview of how to create a Profiling Feature for any PB App!

  FYI: My STD framework has that all built-in and it can also show you how your app looks like from the MS-Windows Monitoring, Display O/S / App memory conditions, alert you GDI issues, build a Process Model, etc all in real time and right within your PB App! 

Example1:

Example2:

FYI:  http://chrispollach.blogspot.com/2023/03/framework.html

The framework is free & open source to use but also, feel free to help yourself to any interesting code that you might find.  ;-)

Note: the framework also includes the ability to Start or Stop the PBDEBUG tracing in the VM under program control!  <=

Regards ... Chris

Thanks for the replies. Is there a way to do profile tracing without adding code to an existing exe similar to pbdebug?  I was hoping there was some kind of parameter similar starting your app from the command line like: application.exe /pbdebug

I have an example of how to activate /PBDEBUG in your code so you can have it active only where needed.

https://www.topwizprogramming.com/freecode_pbdebug.html

Make sure to change the dll name in the external function declarations. It uses undocumented PBVM functions.

Does anyone know if the profiler trace window/code (done by John Strano provided  at Elevate 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?) is available to use and if so where?

Thanks -  I saw that but was hoping that John Strano's sample profile trace window code was available somewhere. If not it mentions that the window w_starttrace is available from an old sybase link which is no longer there. Is that somewhere that can be downloaded and ready to roll?

I found this documentation via a web search for the terms "w_starttrace powerbuilder profiling":

    https://docs.appeon.com/pb2019/pbug/ch32s02.html

A little ways down (just past the "Using a Window" sub-heading), is a mention of some sample code. Since I have not watched the Elevate 2021 session in question, I don't know if this is the same window you are looking for... However, the URL in the aforementioned documentation now only takes you to the PowerBuilder section of CodeXchange.

Fortunately, doing a search for "PB Code Profiling" from that web page in CodeXchange found this:

    https://community.appeon.com/index.php/codexchange/searchcode?query=PB%20code%20profiler&searchdate=all&childforums=1&catids=4&start=180

I hope this is what you are looking for.

Best regards, John

Thanks John - I am looking at that now. One additional question - after a profile trace file (.pbp) has been created, I know how to view the contents in PowerBuilder - is there a way that file can be viewed by using PB code in my application?