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<h3 class="section">4.5 Symspecs</h3>

<p>Many of the output options allow functions to be included or excluded
using <dfn>symspecs</dfn> (symbol specifications), which observe the
following syntax:

<pre class="example">       filename_containing_a_dot
     | funcname_not_containing_a_dot
     | linenumber
     | ( [ any_filename ] `:' ( any_funcname | linenumber ) )
</pre>
   <p>Here are some sample symspecs:

     <dl>
<dt>&lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">main.c</span></samp>&rsquo;<dd>Selects everything in file <samp><span class="file">main.c</span></samp>&mdash;the
dot in the string tells <code>gprof</code> to interpret
the string as a filename, rather than as
a function name.  To select a file whose
name does not contain a dot, a trailing colon
should be specified.  For example, &lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">odd:</span></samp>&rsquo; is
interpreted as the file named <samp><span class="file">odd</span></samp>.

     <br><dt>&lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">main</span></samp>&rsquo;<dd>Selects all functions named &lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">main</span></samp>&rsquo;.

     <p>Note that there may be multiple instances of the same function name
because some of the definitions may be local (i.e., static).  Unless a
function name is unique in a program, you must use the colon notation
explained below to specify a function from a specific source file.

     <p>Sometimes, function names contain dots.  In such cases, it is necessary
to add a leading colon to the name.  For example, &lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">:.mul</span></samp>&rsquo; selects
function &lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">.mul</span></samp>&rsquo;.

     <p>In some object file formats, symbols have a leading underscore. 
<code>gprof</code> will normally not print these underscores.  When you name a
symbol in a symspec, you should type it exactly as <code>gprof</code> prints
it in its output.  For example, if the compiler produces a symbol
&lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">_main</span></samp>&rsquo; from your <code>main</code> function, <code>gprof</code> still prints
it as &lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">main</span></samp>&rsquo; in its output, so you should use &lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">main</span></samp>&rsquo; in
symspecs.

     <br><dt>&lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">main.c:main</span></samp>&rsquo;<dd>Selects function &lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">main</span></samp>&rsquo; in file <samp><span class="file">main.c</span></samp>.

     <br><dt>&lsquo;<samp><span class="samp">main.c:134</span></samp>&rsquo;<dd>Selects line 134 in file <samp><span class="file">main.c</span></samp>. 
</dl>

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