Execution time inside and outside MSVS

[rase]

When I start the .exe files from the development environment (MS-VS 2010) the execution times are sometimes as double as long than starting the same exe outside VS by a double click in the folder or by a click on the icon on the desktop (Debug mode). The same is valid with exes created in Release mode. What's the explanation for that behavior?

[Steven_L_Intel1]

Are you actually timing execution or time from requesting execution to finish? The latter includes VS checking to make sure that the EXE is current.

[rase]

I use "stopwatching" by calling the SECNDS function at several points during execution, especially between time-consuming steps of the project to get a raw impression of the efficiency of algorithms.

[Steven_L_Intel1]

I don't know why that would be the case, then. Can you show some of the timings for both methods?

SECNDS is not the best thing to use for this, as its precision varies by time of day. SYSTEM_CLOCK is better.

[rase]

At the moment I am testing a new version. When the version is finished I will repeat the timing tests and come back with reliable figures (possibly the issue disappeared, you never know).