Design and implementation of a graphical user interface for a timing tool

Abstract

This paper presents a graphical user interface (GUI) that integrates the various components of a timing tool. The timing tool predicts the best and the worst case execution times of high level language code segments for various architectures such as Alpha, MIPS and PowerPC. The GUI allows users to edit, compile and time selected code segments by invoking an editor, a compiler and a timer. Code segments can be easily selected and timed with a click of a button from the main window. In order to predict the execution time, the GUI then invokes a path analyzer to find the associated execution paths and a timer for the target machine. The timer utilizes low-level machine details and the assembler code generated by the compiler to predict execution times. The GUI then displays the best and the worst case execution times of the selected code segment on the main window.