libretro/wiki/measurements.md

level, order, group, terms

level	order	group	terms
reference	70	Data	measurement, benchmark, tested, core probe, real conditions, method

How emulators are tested

Some pages say what an emulator does with a file. Where we ran it to check, the emulator's page shows a Tested block. Every result is on the Measurements page.

What a test does

• A script runs the emulator with no window and no sound.
• It starts a game or a disc and presses buttons at set frames.
• It runs again for each version of one file, such as a BIOS. Nothing else changes.
• It compares what the emulator showed, played or saved, by fingerprint (a hash).
• Each version runs at least twice, each time from a fresh start.

What a result says

• same: the file changed nothing that was compared.
• differs: some versions of the file changed it.
• inconclusive: two runs of one version did not match, so no answer is given.
• measured: a speed test, given as time per frame.

What a result keeps

Each result names its method, the computer it ran on and the exact build of the emulator. Its inputs are kept by fingerprint. A result holds for that build and those inputs only.

A speed figure depends on the computer and how busy it was. It is never shown without them.

Where results are kept

Each result is a full record in the measurements/ folder of this project. A record is never changed once added. A new run is added beside it, and a correction names the record it replaces.

The results so far ran on these computers: