Plugins.md

Plugins

The benchmark module supports a flexible plugin system that allows you to extend its functionality by adding custom plugins. This documentation explains how to create, validate, and use plugins within the benchmarking framework.

V8NeverOptimizePlugin is enabled by default.

To observe how a plugin is used, see the plugin-api-doc.js file in tests and explore its results.

Structure

Each plugin is expected to follow a specific structure with required methods for integration into the benchmark module. The plugins are required to define the following methods:

• isSupported(): This method checks if the plugin can run in the current environment. If the plugin uses features specific to certain environments (e.g., V8 engine features), it should return true if those features are available and false otherwise.

• toString(): This method should return a string representation of the plugin. It’s used for logging and error messages.

In addition to these required methods, plugins can optionally define other methods based on their functionality, such as beforeClockTemplate(), afterClockTemplate(), onCompleteBenchmark(), and more.

Plugin Methods

isSupported() (required)

This method checks if the plugin's functionality is available in the current environment. For instance, if a plugin uses specific V8 engine commands, this method ensures the environment supports them.

beforeClockTemplate(varNames)

• varNames {Object}
  • bench {string} - Name for the benchmark variable.
  • context {string} - Name for the context variable.
  • timer {string} - Name for the timer variable.
  • awaitOrEmpty {string} - A string with await or empty string ('').

Some plugins need to modify or prepare the code before the benchmark starts. The beforeClockTemplate() method allows you to inject code before the timing process begins.

This method must return an array where:

• The first element is a string representing the JavaScript code to be executed before the benchmark function.

• The second element (optional) is a string representing a function that will wrap the benchmark function. This wrapper is used to customize how the benchmark function is called during execution.

The wrapped function provides a powerful way to manipulate how the benchmark is run without directly modifying the benchmark logic.

beforeClockTemplate() {
  let code = '';

  code += `
function DoNotOptimize(x) {}
// Prevent DoNotOptimize from optimizing or being inlined.
%NeverOptimizeFunction(DoNotOptimize);
`
  return [code, 'DoNotOptimize'];
}

In this example, the plugin injects the DoNotOptimize function and also provides it as a wrapper for the benchmark function.

afterClockTemplate(varNames)

• varNames {Object}
  • bench {string} - Name for the benchmark variable.
  • context {string} - Name for the context variable.
  • timer {string} - Name for the timer variable.
  • awaitOrEmpty {string} - A string with await or empty string ('').

After the benchmark runs, this method can inject code to gather performance data or reset configurations. It must return an array where:

• The first element is a string containing the JavaScript code to be executed after the benchmark finishes.

Unlike beforeClockTemplate, afterClockTemplate does not support a second element in the returned array, as it only runs cleanup or data collection code after the benchmark is executed.

onCompleteBenchmark(result)

• result {Object}
  • duration {number} - Benchmark duration
  • count {number} - Number of iterations
  • context {Object} - A object used to store results after the benchmark clock

This method is called when the benchmark completes. Plugins can collect and process data from the benchmark results in this step.

toString() (required)

This method returns a string identifier for the plugin, typically the plugin’s name. It is used in error messages and logging.

Example Plugins

Here are examples of plugins that follow the required structure and functionality.

class V8OptimizeOnNextCallPlugin {
  isSupported() {
    try {
      new Function(`%OptimizeFunctionOnNextCall(() => {})`)();
      return true;
    } catch (e) {
      return false;
    }
  }

  beforeClockTemplate({ awaitOrEmpty, bench }) {
    let code = '';

    code += `%OptimizeFunctionOnNextCall(${ bench }.fn);\n`;
    code += `${ awaitOrEmpty }${ bench }.fn();\n`;
    code += `${ awaitOrEmpty }${ bench }.fn();\n`;

    return [code];
  }

  toString() {
    return 'V8OptimizeOnNextCallPlugin';
  }
}

Official Plugins

This is a list of official plugins that can be fetched when requiring bench-node module.

const { V8OptimizeOnNextCallPlugin, Suite } = require('bench-node');
const suite = new Suite({
  plugins: [new V8OptimizeOnNextCallPlugin()],
})

Class: V8OptimizeOnNextCallPlugin

The V8OptimizeOnNextCallPlugin triggers the V8 engine to optimize the function before it is called. This can improve performance in repeated benchmarks.

Class: V8NeverOptimizePlugin

The V8NeverOptimizePlugin prevents the V8 engine from optimizing or inlining a function, useful when you want to benchmark functions without any optimization.

Class: V8GetOptimizationStatus

The V8GetOptimizationStatus plugin collects the V8 engine's optimization status for a given function after it has been benchmarked.