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1994-12-13
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v2.01 WatchStack Manual 1
WatchStack
A Postcard-Ware Utility
written by Brian Ipsen,
© copyright 1993 by GizmoSoft Productions,
All rights reserved.
v2.01 GizmoSoft Productions 1
v2.01 WatchStack Manual 2
1. Disclaimer
-------------
No guarantee of any kind is given that the program described in
this document is 100% reliable. You are using this material on
your own risk.
The author does not take any responsibility for the results of
the use or misuse of this software. The entire risk as to the
results and performance of this software is assumed by the user.
The author is not responsible for any damage including loss of
any data or information which may be lost or rendered
inaccurate.
WatchStack is a Postcard-Ware program (concept introduced by
Klaus Seistrup, DK). If you like this program and use it
regulary, you are obliged to send a postcard to the author. The
address is at the bottom of this text-file.
v2.01 GizmoSoft Productions 2
v2.01 WatchStack Manual 3
2. Introduction
---------------
This program was written, because StackWatch by James R. Locker
had some 'minor' bugs, which I didn't like.
1: It (sort of) expected that the task to be watched already
was running.
2: When the task finished, it was impossible to see how much
stack the specified program/task used, because the window
was overwritten.
What WatchStack does is really quite simple. It watches the
stack of a task or process that you select. It will be updated
every time the vblank-interrupt is activated. The text in the
window will only be updated for every 3rd interrupt, but still
fast enough to catch the needed values.
If you set your stack up to a huge number, you will probably be
safe, but you are also wasting a lot of memory. What is needed,
is a good way to tell, dynamically, how any program is doing. You
may then tailor your stack allocations to be more efficient.
WatchStack helps you with this by watching the stack-usage.
v2.01 GizmoSoft Productions 3
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3. Using WatchStack
-------------------
WatchStack requires at leat AmigaDOS Release 2.0 to run. If you
don't have the 2.0-Kickstart, forget all about using this
program.
WatchStack starts from CLI only. It requires one command line
argument, which is the name of the task or process to be
monitored. This name must be entered EXACTLY as it is maintained
in the system task lists. WatchStack is not case sensitive, so
if you use an upper case letter while the system knows the task
by a lower case letter, it will still work.
The syntax is as follows:
1> Run WatchStack MyTaskName <RETURN>
For instance,
1> Run WatchStack Scribble!
will monitor Scribble!.
WatchStack will find Workbench or CLI applications. An
application started from Workbench will have the exact name shown
on the icon. An application started from CLI may be known by a
number of different names, depending upon how it hooks itself
into the system. For instance, if you start the Calculator
utility that is found in the Utilities drawer of the Workbench
disk by clicking on its icon, it will have the name
"Calculator" and typing:
1> Run WatchStack Calculator
will now find the task/process in the task-list.
To exit the program, simply close the WatchStack window.
WatchStack will then write 3 lines in the CLI, it was started
from. These 3 lines shows the taskname, allocated stack and max.
usage. Usefull, if you need them in a text-file.
v2.01 GizmoSoft Productions 4
v2.01 WatchStack Manual 5
4. The WatchStack Window
------------------------
The WatchStack-window has four lines. The first line tells you
what process (or task) WatchStack is monitoring. This is useful
if you are running multiple copies of WatchStack. The second line
tells you what the stack allocation for that process is. The
third line tells you what the largest amount of stack used was at
any time since WatchStack was invoked. The fourth line tells you
what the stack usage is right now.
5. WatchStack limitations
-------------------------
WatchStack takes "snapshots" of your process - it is not looking
continuously. Therefore, it won't necessarily spot a quick peak
in stack usage.
WatchStack hooks itself into the system at priority 10, and
wants to run at frequent intervals. One of the first things it
does when running is disable multitasking so it can safely
wander through the system Task lists. As a consequence,
under certain circumstances, or if multiple copies of
WatchStack are running, it can noticeably slow system response.
If multiple tasks of the same name are running on your system,
the first task found in the task-list will be used. I don't know
yet how to handle this situation, but it might be handled in a
future revision of the program.
v2.01 GizmoSoft Productions 5
v2.01 WatchStack Manual 6
6. Acknowledgements and Thank You's
-----------------------------------
The following names are either trademarks or the efforts of the
person and/or company listed:
- Amiga, AmigaDOS, CLI, WorkBench and Kickstart by
Commodore-Amiga, Inc.
- StackWatch by James R. Locker
- Postcard-Ware by Klaus Seistrup
Thank-you's:
------------
Thanks goes to these two persons, who helped me build this
program. I don't think I could have made it without their
assistance.
2:230/119, Klaus Seistrup, for the Process-find sourcecode
2:230/413, Jesper Kehlet, for help with finding the stack
information.
And greetings to these beta-testers of this program:
2:230/119, Klaus Seistrup
2:230/413, Jesper Kehlet
2:231/84, Per Hansen
v2.01 GizmoSoft Productions 6
v2.01 WatchStack Manual 7
7. Author's notes on distribution
---------------------------------
WatchStack may only be re-distributed in it's original form.
This program may be included in PD-series and uploaded on BBS'.
8. Words from the author
------------------------
The author (Brian Ipsen) may be reached in any of the following
ways:
Postal service:
GizmoSoft Productions
c/o B. Ipsen
Lyngens Kvarter 117, st.tv.
DK-7400 Herning
Denmark
BBS:
For a while at least, I will be picking up mail on MicroAmiga
BBS in Randers/DK, (2:230/813@fidonet & 2:230/814@fidonet), an
official StarNet/MEBBSNet Support Board in Europe. (I'm also
working as CoSysop there).
If you haven't logged in there yet, you should. The numbers
are +45 86437939 and +45 86401535.
v2.01 GizmoSoft Productions 7
Table of Contents
1. Disclaimer............................................... 2
2. Introduction............................................. 3
3. Using WatchStack......................................... 4
4. The WatchStack Window.................................... 5
5. WatchStack limitations................................... 5
6. Acknowledgements and Thank You's ........................ 6
7. Author's notes on distribution .......................... 7
8. Words from the author ................................... 7