Node: --prof flag not documented in --help output

[jsha]

• Version: v8.6.0
• Platform: Linux btudb 3.13.0-133-generic #182-Ubuntu SMP Tue Sep 19 15:49:21 UTC 2017 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
• Subsystem: commandline

Steps to reproduce:

Run node --help

Expected result:

Output includes short documentation for --prof flag, as described at https://nodejs.org/en/docs/guides/simple-profiling/.

Actual result:

Output does not include that documentation (but does include documentation for --prof-process).

[bnoordhuis]

The description from --prof-process hints at it: --profis a V8 flag listed under --v8-options.

[Fishrock123]

We could put something in like "if the option you are looking for is not here, try --v8-options". Thoughts?

[jsha]

In this case, I wasn't totally sure what option I was looking for; I was checking help to remind myself of the name. I think now that --prof is officially documented as the way to do profiling, it might be good to hoist it from the (mostly obscure) --v8-options.

Another possibility to make it more clear that there is additional help available would be to rename or alias --v8-options to --help-v8, or --help-all.

[gireeshpunathil]

@jsha - just wondering you want to put together a doc PR to this effect? let me know. Or else we could open this up for good-first-contribution too.

[jsha]

Let's tag it with good-first-contribution. Thanks!

On Wed, May 16, 2018, 03:43 Gireesh Punathil [e-mail]
wrote:

@jsha https://github.com/jsha - just wondering you want to put together
a doc PR to this effect? let me know. Or else we could open this up for
good-first-contribution too.

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[joyeecheung]

Is --prof officially supported by V8? I am under the impression that only the CPU profiler is officially supported and thoroughly tested. cc @nodejs/v8

[hashseed]

Yeah. --prof is somewhat of a grey area. We have some long term plans to fold it into a better way for logging/tracing.

[gireeshpunathil]

so what is the recommendation here? document (--prof in Node) or leave it to status quo?

[jsha]

In my opinion, even experimental / temporary things should have some
documentation. For one thing, it helps people to understand that they are
experimental or temporary.

On Wed, May 16, 2018, 18:53 Gireesh Punathil [e-mail]
wrote:

so what is the recommendation here? document (--prof in Node) or leave it
to status quo?

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[gireeshpunathil]

Agreed - in addition, --prof currently provides vital diagnostic data for performance problem determination. Experimental or non-experimental, its value is great, and should not go under-utlized due to the under-documented nature of it.

Call for good first contributors!

[ohbarye]

May I work on this issue?