time: Linux Commands HowTo
time: Measure Program running time
Measure the running time of a program.
The `time? command will run another
program, and record the elapsed time or CPU Resource Used time used by that program.
The information mmay be displayed on screen or saved in a file.
Syntax
time [option...] command [arg...]
Options
-o FILE
--output=FILE
Write the resource use statistics to FILE.
-a
--append
*Append* the resource use information to the output file instead
of overwriting it.
-f FORMAT
--format=FORMAT
Use FORMAT as the format string, see below for formatting options.
--help
Summary of the command line options.
-o FILE
--output=FILE
Write the resource use statistics to FILE. By default, this
*overwrites* the file, destroying the file?s previous contents.
-a
--append
*Append* the resource use information to the output file instead
of overwriting it. This option is only useful with the `-o? or
`--output? option.
-p
--portability
Use the POSIX format.
-v
--verbose
Use the built-in verbose format, which displays each available
piece of information on the program?s resource use on its own
line, with an English description of its meaning.
-V
--version
Print the version number of `time? and exit.
Options to `time? must appear on the command line before COMMAND.
Anything on the command line after COMMAND is passed as arguments to
COMMAND.
Setting the Output Format
`time? uses a "format string" to determine which information to display about
the resources used by the command it runs. You can specify a format string with
the options listed above.
If no format is specified on the command line, but the `TIME? environment variable
is set, its value is used as the format string. Otherwise, the default format
built into `time? is used:
%Uuser %Ssystem
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