Presentation of visual program performance data

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program for presenting runtime performance data for analysis in a visual programming environment. The performance data is presented in substantially the same manner in which a visual programmer creates a visual program. A number of alternative presentation styles are defined whereby the visual program is augmented to indicate performance data. For example, when displaying connections, one color may be used when displaying a connection to indicate it has been executed a relatively high number of times, while a different color (or a different hue of the first color) is used for connections that were executed a relatively low number of times. Or, different line styles may be used (such as different degrees of line thickness, or solid lines compared to lines comprised of dashes of varying length) may be used to represent the same information. Alternatively, the performance data may be indicated by annotating the graphical representation of the visual program with text (indicating the number of times the connection was executed, for example). Total and local elapsed time will also be presented, using the same presentation techniques. Both the execution counts and the elapsed time may be indicated in actual numbers, or as a percentage of the corresponding totals.