Custom Distribution

Custom distributions are used to record the distribution of arbitrary values.

It should be used only when direct control over how the histogram buckets are computed is required. Otherwise, look at the standard distribution metric types:

Note: Custom distributions are currently not universally supported. See below for available APIs.

Recording API

accumulateSamples

Accumulate the provided samples in the metric.

import org.mozilla.yourApplication.GleanMetrics.Graphics

Graphics.checkerboardPeak.accumulateSamples([23])

import org.mozilla.yourApplication.GleanMetrics.Graphics;

Graphics.INSTANCE.checkerboardPeak().accumulateSamples(listOf(23));

Graphics.checkerboardPeak.accumulateSamples([23])

from glean import load_metrics
metrics = load_metrics("metrics.yaml")

metrics.graphics.checkerboard_peak.accumulate_samples([23])

use glean_metrics::graphics;

graphics::checkerboard_peak.accumulate_samples_signed(vec![23]);

C++

#include "mozilla/glean/GleanMetrics.h"

mozilla::glean::graphics::checkerboard_peak.AccumulateSamples({ 23 });

JavaScript

Glean.graphics.checkerboardPeak.accumulateSamples([23])

Limits

  • The maximum value of bucket_count is 100.
  • Only non-negative values may be recorded (>= 0).

Recorded errors

  • invalid_value: If recording a negative value.

Testing API

testGetValue

Gets the recorded value for a given counter metric.
Returns a struct with counts per buckets and total sum if data is stored.
Returns a language-specific empty/null value if no data is stored.

import org.mozilla.yourApplication.GleanMetrics.Graphics

// Get snapshot
val snapshot = Graphics.checkerboardPeak.testGetValue()

// Does the sum have the expected value?
assertEquals(23, snapshot.sum)

// Buckets are indexed by their lower bound.
assertEquals(1L, snapshot.values[19])

import org.mozilla.yourApplication.GleanMetrics.Graphics;

// Get snapshot
val snapshot = Graphics.INSTANCE.checkerboardPeak().testGetValue();

// Does the sum have the expected value?
assertEquals(23, snapshot.sum);

// Get snapshot.
let snapshot = graphics.checkerboardPeak.testGetValue()

// Usually you don't know the exact values,
// but how many should have been recorded.
XCTAssertEqual(23, snapshot.sum)

// Buckets are indexed by their lower bound.
XCTAssertEqual(1L, snapshot.values[19])

from glean import load_metrics
metrics = load_metrics("metrics.yaml")

# Get snapshot.
snapshot = metrics.graphics.checkerboard_peak.test_get_value()

# Usually you don't know the exact values,
# but how many should have been recorded.
assert 23 == snapshot.sum

# Buckets are indexed by their lower bound.
assertEquals(1L, snapshot.values[19])

use glean_metrics::graphics;

// Usually you don't know the exact values,
// but how many should have been recorded.
assert_eq!(23, graphics::checkerboard_peak.test_get_value(None).unwrap().sum);

// Buckets are indexed by their lower bound.
assert_eq(1, snapshot.values[19])

C++

#include "mozilla/glean/GleanMetrics.h"

auto data = mozilla::glean::graphics::checkerboard_peak.TestGetValue().value();
ASSERT_EQ(23UL, data.sum);

JavaScript

let data = Glean.graphics.checkerboardPeak.testGetValue();
Assert.equal(23, data.sum);

testGetNumRecordedErrors

Gets the number of errors recorded for a the custom distribution metric.

import org.mozilla.yourApplication.GleanMetrics.Graphics

/// Did the metric receive a negative value?
assertEquals(
    0,
    Graphics.checkerboardPeak.testGetNumRecordedErrors(ErrorType.INVALID_VALUE)
)

import org.mozilla.yourApplication.GleanMetrics.Graphics;

/// Did the metric receive a negative value?
assertEquals(
    0,
    Graphics.INSTANCE.checkerboardPeak().testGetNumRecordedErrors(
        ErrorType.INVALID_VALUE
    )
)

// Assert that no errors were recorded.
XCTAssertEqual(0, Graphics.checkerboardPeak.testGetNumRecordedErrors(.invalidValue))

from glean import load_metrics
metrics = load_metrics("metrics.yaml")

# Assert that no errors were recorded.
assert 0 == metrics.graphics.checkerboard_peak.test_get_num_recorded_errors(
    ErrorType.INVALID_VALUE
)

use glean::ErrorType;
use glean_metrics::graphics;

// Were any of the values negative and thus caused an error to be recorded?
assert_eq!(
    0,
    graphics::checkerboard_peak.test_get_num_recorded_errors(
        ErrorType::InvalidValue,
        None
    )
);

Metric Parameters

Example custom distribution metric definition:

graphics:
  checkerboard_peak:
    type: custom_distribution
    description: >
      Peak number of CSS pixels checkerboarded during a checkerboard event.
    range_min: 1
    range_max: 66355200
    bucket_count: 50
    histogram_type: exponential
    unit: pixels
    gecko_datapoint: CHECKERBOARD_PEAK
    bugs:
      - https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/000000
    data_reviews:
      - https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=000000#c3
    notification_emails:
      - me@mozilla.com
    expires: 2020-10-01

Extra metric parameters

Custom distributions have the following required parameters:

  • range_min: (Integer) The minimum value of the first bucket
  • range_max: (Integer) The minimum value of the last bucket
  • bucket_count: (Integer) The number of buckets
  • histogram_type:
    • linear: The buckets are evenly spaced
    • exponential: The buckets follow a natural logarithmic distribution

Note Check out how these bucketing algorithms would behave on the Custom distribution simulator.

Custom distributions have the following optional parameters:

  • unit: (String) The unit of the values in the metric. For documentation purposes only -- does not affect data collection.
  • gecko_datapoint: (String) This is a Gecko-specific property. It is the name of the Gecko metric to accumulate the data from, when using a Glean SDK in a product using GeckoView.

Reference

Simulator

Please, insert your custom data below as a JSON array.

Data options

Properties