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Stackify Prefix review

Stackify Prefix – The best profiler to write better software

Writing a software and Troubleshooting has never been easy. Quick feedback loops in workflow reduces the burden of checking the validity in a specific code segment or a program that we write. It is obvious that when a problem or an error is informed then and there, that it becomes very much easier to handle. Without a quick feedback loop it becomes tedious to solve the issues as the initial mindset of the problem has already passed. Although it was a concept made popular by the agile methodology and practices, it’s something that most of us deal with when we invoke the compiler towards the latter part of programming. Profiling and performance testing has always been a process that is invoked towards the end of a program. What I usually face is that it address a very common problem or stress a testing scenario.

Using Stackify as an ASP.net profiler is one of the best options that I have come across and I would highly recommend when it comes to profiling. The remarkable thing about Stackify profiler is that it is not just a profiler but a product which displays details per web request, so it often gives the eligibility understand what your code is doing currently and how long it takes to perform. Apart from that Prefix will help you troubleshoot what your code is doing by inspecting key methods, database queries, web service calls, and logging statements etc…,

Installing Stackify Prefix 

Unlike any other .Net profilers prefix is very easy to install and has both free and premium levels. Simply after the installation process one can check for it’s functioning by following the simple steps mentioned below.

·        Restart your PC.

·        From the tray app, right click on it and click “Disable Profiler” then “Enable Profiler” once it stops.

·        Start Visual Studio as an administrator.

·        Debug your application as normal. 

With these simple steps the most useful ASP.NET profiler is started to function. 

Overview of Stackify Prefix

After the installation process what the Stackify prefix do is, it attaches itself to IIS or IIS Express and displays information about each web request. This web request information simply has the following content and the mentioned details are displayed as shown in the Image.

1.       The total time it took to serve the page

2.       The number of database requests

3.       Details about the caught exceptions

4.       The status of code

When we dig down further more information related to the web request the following also could be viewed.

·        The Raw HTTP request information

·        The actual SQL queries which are actually being run

·        Exception and stack trace information along with the performance

·        Timings for each stage of execution

Key features of Stackify Prefix

Apart from the above mentioned functionalities related to requests some remarkable techniques that Stackify follows is that it gives you the ability to views your log’s request one by one at a time. Also it helps you find the hidden exceptions in the program which are often unnoticed. In a situation where your program works abnormal, it spots the suspicious behaviors in the program. And not only that, it also gives the eligibility to view the SQL commands which makes programming a software lot more convenient. The Premium version of Stackify Prefix comes with another sensational set of features. Tracing transactions across servers to get remote server details real-time, Instantly monitoring and comparing the computer performance, Suggestions to make your code smarter and Tracking any method prevailing in your code are some of them. All in all when we compare the full package of Stackify Prefix, it accomplish the following tasks in an efficient and striking way. 

·        It helps you find slow SQL queries, web service calls, etc.

·        You can View logging, Debug, & Trace statements

·        It runs only on a developer’s workstation. No server installs.

·        It Supports 30+ common .NET libraries

·        It Runs in the background and is always there when you need it! 

Interesting features from Stackify Prefix 

When working on and on with Stackify prefix I came across some interesting facts that could be extracted from the programs that we write. The starters will be able to check how long it took to download a header. One could simply know the amount of time taken for MVC to deserialize the request and how it can be tracked. Stackify profiler also gives the eligibility to know how long a query is within a given transaction. The amount of time it takes to execute a SQL statement with the time it took to download results is also one remarkable and interesting feature that is provided from Stackify Prefix. 

Tips of Stackify Prefix that Come in Style

·        If it necessary for you to open a web request in a new browser tab, you can simply press CTRL + Click on the web request

·        A click on the icons it will automatically scroll to that part of the request

·        When you add the following setting to <appSettings> the requests will be individually named so that it will be useful if you’re working on multiple apps.

Key benefits of Stackify Prefix

Having large number of caught exceptions which are normally unnoticed are shown up in Stackify Prefix. Also it does not require any other package to be installed for profiling purposes, as Stackify Prefix comes as a full package. Calls to external web services are measured and are printed inline (logging requests) to make it much convenient for the user. Information related to the external calls are shown via trace and debug statements. Another spectacular feature of Stackify Prefix is that it supports HTTPClient, HTTPWebResponse, WCF, WebAPI etc.., also if you need few extra features related to variety of frameworks like log4net, NLog and Elmah then, they are simply supported by adding a NuGet package. Optimizing APM solutions for low overhead makes it safe for anyone to run on production servers. 

Latest Features in Stackify Prefix

Recently the Product developers announced that they are adding support for integrations into Stackify, which will improve its performance in large scale. Currently they support sending Stackify Errors into Jira and Stackify Alerts into Slack. Now that it’s all modified Configuring these integrations can be done by going to the Settings page and locating the “Integrations” section on the right side of the page. Also the introduction of New Call-out Icons will allow you to see which of your apps contain E&L or APM+ data.

Finishing Line on Stackify Prefix

Stackify is not just about profiling. The significance of it is that it gives a detailed trace of every web request, it does not mess your configurations or change your code and it runs and is always steady. Because of its astonishing features and outstanding performances now it has become a critical tool whenever I start writing softwares. It makes a programmer Smart, Steady and Efficient that it could simply be called as the best ASP.NET profiling tool.

This article is part of the GWB Archives. Original Author: Matt Watson

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