Callstack - Instantaneous view of application

This tutorial demonstrates launching the sample application, and inspecting the application’s callstack as the application executes using the Callstack view. The callstack view is a very powerful way to get a quick feel for where the application is spending most of its time executing.

• Click on the settings icon on the toolbar.
  
  The settings dialog is displayed. On the Performance tab, choose the Sampling option – this ensures Performance Validator doesn’t spend time instrumenting your application – allowing for a rapid attachment to the application to enable you to get a quick view of the callstack when your application is under load. Click OK to accept the new settings.
• Launch the sample application. Click on the launch icon on the toolbar.
  
• The Launch application wizard is displayed.
  
• Select the sample application nativeExample.exe using the Browse… button.
• Click the Next button to move to the 2nd page of the wizard.
  
• Leave the settings as the default settings.
• Click the Next button to move to the 3rd page of the wizard.
  
• Leave the settings as the default settings.
• Click the Next button to move to the 4th page of the wizard.
  
• Click the Start Application button to launch the application.
• The nativeExample.exe application is started.
  
• Whilst Performance Validator is instrumenting the application various progress dialogs are displayed.
• The Callstack view is updated on a regular basis (according to the Update combo box), displaying the callstack for the selected thread. The application thread(s) and the name for each thread are shown in the Thread combo box. You can select which thread to view.
• Position the example application so that the callstack view can be easily viewed. Whilst interacting with the example application notice how the callstack view displays callstacks related to the activity of the sample application.
• Using the sample application, select the Sort menu and choose Quick Sort. Watch the callstack as the Quick Sort sorts 10,000 random integers.
• Using the sample application, select the Sort menu and choose Comb Sort. Watch the callstack as the Comb Sort sorts 10,000 random integers.
• Using the sample application, select the Sort menu and choose Heap Sort. Watch the callstack as the Heap Sort sorts 10,000 random integers.
• Using the sample application, select the Sort menu and choose Merge Sort. Watch the callstack as the Merge Sort sorts 10,000 random integers.
• Using the sample application, select the Sort menu and choose Bubble Sort. Watch the callstack as the Bubble Sort sorts 10,000 random integers.
• Close nativeExample.exe using the File menu Exit command. The application closes. Performance Validator processes any remaining data and displays the final results. The callstack display will not display any data – as there are no threads to view when the application is not executing.