We present the first profiler for a compiled, non-strict, higher-order, purely functional language capable of measuring  time  as well as  space  usage. Our profiler is implemented in a production-quality optimising compiler for Haskell, has low overheads, and can successfully profile large applications.  A unique feature of our approach is that we give a formal specification of the attribution of execution costs to cost centres. This specification enables us to discuss our design decisions in a precise framework. Since it is not obvious how to map this specification onto a particular implementation, we also present an implementation-oriented operational semantics, and prove it equivalent to the specification.
['Patrick M. Sansom', 'Simon L. Peyton Jones']
Time and space profiling for non-strict, higher-order functional languages