pytest-profiling

library1.8.1pypypi✓ verified 26d ago

pytest-profiling is a plugin for the pytest testing framework that provides code profiling capabilities. It generates profiling information in tabular format and can also produce call-graph heat maps in SVG format. The plugin uses Python's built-in `cProfile` module for profiling and `pstats` for analysis, with `gprof2dot` and `dot` (Graphviz) for SVG visualization. It is actively maintained, with regular updates to support recent Python and pytest versions, as seen by its latest releases (v1.8.1 in November 2024 and v1.8.0 in October 2024).

testing devops observability

pip install pytest-profiling

github ↗package ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · PYTEST-PROFILING

pytest-profiling

testingpythonv1.8.1

Install

2.8s avg

Import

—

Disk

30MB

Pass rate

10/ 10

Env Coverage10 / 10

glibc

3.9–3.13

musl

3.9–3.13

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v1.8.1 · pip install

no network on importno background threads

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

py 3.10–3.95 runs

installs and imports cleanly · install 0.0s · import 0.000s · 31.5MB

glibc

py 3.10–3.95 runs

installs and imports cleanly · install 2.8s · import 0.000s · 32MB

30MB installed

● package 30MB

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

pytest_plugins

✓ pytest_plugins = ['pytest_profiling'] # in conftest.py

While typically auto-discovered, explicitly enabling the plugin in conftest.py with `pytest_plugins = ['pytest_profiling']` ensures it's loaded, especially if not using setuptools entry points for discovery. No direct Python imports are usually needed for the plugin itself during test execution.

After installation, `pytest-profiling` integrates directly with the `pytest` command-line interface. To generate profiling information, use the `--profile` flag. For a visual call-graph (SVG), use `--profile-svg`. This will create a `prof/` directory containing the profiling data and SVG file if `--profile-svg` is used.

import pytest def test_slow_function(): total = 0 for i in range(100000): total += i * i assert total > 0 # Run from command line: # pytest --profile # pytest --profile-svg # Example of running the command: # import subprocess # import os # # # Create a dummy test file # test_file_content = """ # import time # def test_example_profile(): # time.sleep(0.01) # Simulate some work # x = 0 # for i in range(1000): # x += i # assert x == 499500 # """ # with open("test_example_profile.py", "w") as f: # f.write(test_file_content) # # print("\n--- Running pytest --profile ---") # profile_cmd = ["pytest", "--profile", "test_example_profile.py"] # result = subprocess.run(profile_cmd, capture_output=True, text=True, check=False) # print(result.stdout) # if result.stderr: print(result.stderr) # # # Optional: Clean up # # os.remove("test_example_profile.py") # # import shutil # # if os.path.exists("prof"): shutil.rmtree("prof")

pytest --version

Debug

Known issues

breakingVersion 1.8.0 and later dropped support for Python 2 and Python versions less than 3.6. Ensure your environment is running Python 3.6 or newer.

fix

Upgrade your Python environment to 3.6 or a later compatible version.

affects: >=1.8.0

gotchaGenerating SVG profile graphs with `--profile-svg` requires external tools: `gprof2dot` (Python package) and the `dot` command-line utility from Graphviz. These must be installed separately from `pytest-profiling`.

fix

Install `gprof2dot` via pip (`pip install gprof2dot`) and Graphviz (which provides the `dot` command) through your system's package manager or from its official website.

affects: All versions

gotchaBy default, `pytest-profiling` might not extensively profile the setup/teardown phases of pytest fixtures, focusing primarily on the test function execution itself. This can lead to incomplete profiling results if significant time is spent within fixtures.

fix

If fixture profiling is crucial, consider explicit timing within fixtures or alternative profiling methods. The plugin focuses on test execution, and extensive fixture profiling might require deeper integration or manual instrumentation.

affects: All versions

gotchaThe raw profiling output can be very verbose, often showing many internal `pytest` and library calls. Analyzing specific bottlenecks in your application code may require filtering the `pstats` output programmatically.

fix

After running `pytest --profile`, the profiling data is saved to `prof/combined.prof`. You can load this with Python's `pstats` module and use `stats.print_stats('your_module_name', N)` to focus on specific modules or top N calls.

affects: All versions

Upgrade

Version history

1.8.1latest on PyPI · released Nov 29, 2024

Audit

Dependencies

pytestrequiredCore testing framework that this plugin extends.

gprof2dotoptionalRequired for generating SVG call-graph visualizations with `--profile-svg`.

graphvizoptionalThe 'dot' command from Graphviz is required by gprof2dot to render SVG graphs.

Agent activity

23 hits · last 30 days

node

OpenAI (training)

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/man-group/pytest-plugins ↗

packagehttps://pypi.org/project/pytest-profiling/ ↗