PHP Timer Script

This is the only PHP script that I wrote and use nearly everyday but never published! My stopwatch / timer script… I use it to test, benchmark most of the other scripts I write.
Sometimes webmasters use something similar to show you Page Generation times at the bottom of a web page; not unlike what I have done myself at the bottom of this page e.g.

1	Vilitas.com created this page in 0.105253 seconds.

So, not only is this Timer / Stopwatch code good for figuring out how efficiently your code runs, it also helps to add to your page content!

PHP Page Generation / Timer script

Copy the entire code below and save it as stopwatch.php if you want to use it as a benchmarking tool while you test your different PHP scripts.

<?php   //  Filename: stopwatch.php //  =======================   //  Start TIMER //  ----------- $stimer = explode( ' ', microtime() ); $stimer = $stimer[1] + $stimer[0]; //  -----------   /* ------------------------------------- */ //  Add your PHP script and/or content here /* ------------------------------------- */   //  End TIMER //  --------- $etimer = explode( ' ', microtime() ); $etimer = $etimer[1] + $etimer[0]; echo '<p style="margin:auto; text-align:center">'; printf( "Script timer: <b>%f</b> seconds.", ($etimer-$stimer) ); echo '</p></body></html>'; //  ---------

If you want to use it as a Page Generation Time tool, you can just add your content where it says

/* ------------------------------------- */ //  Add your PHP script and/or content here /* ------------------------------------- */

and rename the file… but that’s not very smart, is it?

Including Page Generation times on all your web pages

The popular way to do it actually is to add 2 parts of this script into 2 different PHP include files:

• header.php
• footer.php

and then just include the 2 files (header.php & footer.php) on every web page your web site serves!

Sample header.php / footer.php

header.php

<?php //  Start TIMER //  ----------- $stimer = explode( ' ', microtime() ); $stimer = $stimer[1] + $stimer[0]; //  ----------- //  SOME MORE HEADER CONTENT, IF ANY... //

footer.php

<?php //  SOME MORE CLOSING/FOOTER CONTENT, IF ANY... // //  End TIMER //  --------- $etimer = explode( ' ', microtime() ); $etimer = $etimer[1] + $etimer[0]; echo '<p style="margin:auto; text-align:center">'; printf( "Script timer: <b>%f</b> seconds.", ($etimer-$stimer) ); echo '</p></body></html>'; //  ---------