[PATCH v20 15/21] perf python: Expose brstack in sample event

From: Ian Rogers

Date: Mon Jun 15 2026 - 18:34:05 EST


Implement pyrf_branch_entry and pyrf_branch_stack for lazy
iteration over branch stack entries.

Assisted-by: Gemini:gemini-3.1-pro-preview
Signed-off-by: Ian Rogers <irogers@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
tools/perf/util/python.c | 198 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 file changed, 198 insertions(+)

diff --git a/tools/perf/util/python.c b/tools/perf/util/python.c
index db7f4a8ebcd1..05691a513184 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/python.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/python.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
#include "debug.h"
#include "dso.h"
#include "event.h"
+#include "branch.h"
#include "evlist.h"
#include "evsel.h"
#include "expr.h"
@@ -89,6 +90,8 @@ struct pyrf_event {
bool al_resolved;
/** @callchain: Resolved callchain, eagerly computed if requested. */
PyObject *callchain;
+ /** @brstack: Resolved branch stack, eagerly computed if requested. */
+ PyObject *brstack;
/** @event: The underlying perf_event that may be in a file or ring buffer. */
union perf_event event;
};
@@ -127,6 +130,7 @@ static void pyrf_event__delete(struct pyrf_event *pevent)
if (pevent->al_resolved)
addr_location__exit(&pevent->al);
Py_XDECREF(pevent->callchain);
+ Py_XDECREF(pevent->brstack);
perf_sample__exit(&pevent->sample);
Py_TYPE(pevent)->tp_free((PyObject *)pevent);
}
@@ -997,6 +1001,154 @@ static PyObject *pyrf_sample_event__get_callchain(PyObject *self, void *closure
return pevent->callchain;
}

+struct pyrf_branch_entry {
+ PyObject_HEAD
+ u64 from;
+ u64 to;
+ struct branch_flags flags;
+};
+
+static void pyrf_branch_entry__delete(struct pyrf_branch_entry *pentry)
+{
+ Py_TYPE(pentry)->tp_free((PyObject *)pentry);
+}
+
+static PyObject *pyrf_branch_entry__get_from(struct pyrf_branch_entry *pentry,
+ void *closure __maybe_unused)
+{
+ return PyLong_FromUnsignedLongLong(pentry->from);
+}
+
+static PyObject *pyrf_branch_entry__get_to(struct pyrf_branch_entry *pentry,
+ void *closure __maybe_unused)
+{
+ return PyLong_FromUnsignedLongLong(pentry->to);
+}
+
+static PyObject *pyrf_branch_entry__get_mispred(struct pyrf_branch_entry *pentry,
+ void *closure __maybe_unused)
+{
+ return PyBool_FromLong(pentry->flags.mispred);
+}
+
+static PyObject *pyrf_branch_entry__get_predicted(struct pyrf_branch_entry *pentry,
+ void *closure __maybe_unused)
+{
+ return PyBool_FromLong(pentry->flags.predicted);
+}
+
+static PyObject *pyrf_branch_entry__get_in_tx(struct pyrf_branch_entry *pentry,
+ void *closure __maybe_unused)
+{
+ return PyBool_FromLong(pentry->flags.in_tx);
+}
+
+static PyObject *pyrf_branch_entry__get_abort(struct pyrf_branch_entry *pentry,
+ void *closure __maybe_unused)
+{
+ return PyBool_FromLong(pentry->flags.abort);
+}
+
+static PyObject *pyrf_branch_entry__get_cycles(struct pyrf_branch_entry *pentry,
+ void *closure __maybe_unused)
+{
+ return PyLong_FromUnsignedLongLong(pentry->flags.cycles);
+}
+
+static PyObject *pyrf_branch_entry__get_type(struct pyrf_branch_entry *pentry,
+ void *closure __maybe_unused)
+{
+ return PyLong_FromUnsignedLongLong((unsigned long long)pentry->flags.type);
+}
+
+static PyGetSetDef pyrf_branch_entry__getset[] = {
+ { .name = "from_ip", .get = (getter)pyrf_branch_entry__get_from, },
+ { .name = "to_ip", .get = (getter)pyrf_branch_entry__get_to, },
+ { .name = "mispred", .get = (getter)pyrf_branch_entry__get_mispred, },
+ { .name = "predicted", .get = (getter)pyrf_branch_entry__get_predicted, },
+ { .name = "in_tx", .get = (getter)pyrf_branch_entry__get_in_tx, },
+ { .name = "abort", .get = (getter)pyrf_branch_entry__get_abort, },
+ { .name = "cycles", .get = (getter)pyrf_branch_entry__get_cycles, },
+ { .name = "type", .get = (getter)pyrf_branch_entry__get_type, },
+ { .name = NULL, },
+};
+
+static PyTypeObject pyrf_branch_entry__type = {
+ PyVarObject_HEAD_INIT(NULL, 0)
+ .tp_name = "perf.branch_entry",
+ .tp_basicsize = sizeof(struct pyrf_branch_entry),
+ .tp_dealloc = (destructor)pyrf_branch_entry__delete,
+ .tp_flags = Py_TPFLAGS_DEFAULT|Py_TPFLAGS_BASETYPE,
+ .tp_doc = "perf branch entry object.",
+ .tp_getset = pyrf_branch_entry__getset,
+};
+
+struct pyrf_branch_stack {
+ PyObject_HEAD
+ struct branch_entry *entries;
+ u64 nr;
+};
+
+static void pyrf_branch_stack__delete(struct pyrf_branch_stack *pstack)
+{
+ free(pstack->entries);
+ Py_TYPE(pstack)->tp_free((PyObject *)pstack);
+}
+
+static Py_ssize_t pyrf_branch_stack__length(PyObject *obj)
+{
+ struct pyrf_branch_stack *pstack = (void *)obj;
+
+ return pstack->nr;
+}
+
+static PyObject *pyrf_branch_stack__item(PyObject *obj, Py_ssize_t i)
+{
+ struct pyrf_branch_stack *pstack = (void *)obj;
+ struct pyrf_branch_entry *pentry;
+
+ if (i < 0 || i >= (Py_ssize_t)pstack->nr) {
+ PyErr_SetString(PyExc_IndexError, "Index out of range");
+ return NULL;
+ }
+
+ pentry = PyObject_New(struct pyrf_branch_entry, &pyrf_branch_entry__type);
+ if (!pentry)
+ return NULL;
+
+ pentry->from = pstack->entries[i].from;
+ pentry->to = pstack->entries[i].to;
+ pentry->flags = pstack->entries[i].flags;
+
+ return (PyObject *)pentry;
+}
+
+static PySequenceMethods pyrf_branch_stack__sequence_methods = {
+ .sq_length = pyrf_branch_stack__length,
+ .sq_item = pyrf_branch_stack__item,
+};
+
+static PyTypeObject pyrf_branch_stack__type = {
+ PyVarObject_HEAD_INIT(NULL, 0)
+ .tp_name = "perf.branch_stack",
+ .tp_basicsize = sizeof(struct pyrf_branch_stack),
+ .tp_dealloc = (destructor)pyrf_branch_stack__delete,
+ .tp_flags = Py_TPFLAGS_DEFAULT|Py_TPFLAGS_BASETYPE,
+ .tp_doc = "perf branch stack object.",
+ .tp_as_sequence = &pyrf_branch_stack__sequence_methods,
+};
+
+static PyObject *pyrf_sample_event__get_brstack(PyObject *self, void *closure __maybe_unused)
+{
+ struct pyrf_event *pevent = (void *)self;
+
+ if (!pevent->brstack)
+ Py_RETURN_NONE;
+
+ Py_INCREF(pevent->brstack);
+ return pevent->brstack;
+}
+
static PyObject*
pyrf_sample_event__getattro(struct pyrf_event *pevent, PyObject *attr_name)
{
@@ -1017,6 +1169,12 @@ static PyGetSetDef pyrf_sample_event__getset[] = {
.set = NULL,
.doc = "event callchain.",
},
+ {
+ .name = "brstack",
+ .get = pyrf_sample_event__get_brstack,
+ .set = NULL,
+ .doc = "event branch stack.",
+ },
{
.name = "raw_buf",
.get = (getter)pyrf_sample_event__get_raw_buf,
@@ -1198,6 +1356,12 @@ static int pyrf_event__setup_types(void)
err = PyType_Ready(&pyrf_callchain__type);
if (err < 0)
goto out;
+ err = PyType_Ready(&pyrf_branch_entry__type);
+ if (err < 0)
+ goto out;
+ err = PyType_Ready(&pyrf_branch_stack__type);
+ if (err < 0)
+ goto out;
out:
return err;
}
@@ -1264,6 +1428,7 @@ static PyObject *pyrf_event__new(const union perf_event *event, struct evsel *ev

perf_sample__init(&pevent->sample, /*all=*/true);
pevent->callchain = NULL;
+ pevent->brstack = NULL;
pevent->al_resolved = false;
addr_location__init(&pevent->al);

@@ -1325,6 +1490,27 @@ static PyObject *pyrf_event__new(const union perf_event *event, struct evsel *ev
addr_location__exit(&al);
}
}
+ if (sample->branch_stack) {
+ struct branch_stack *bs = sample->branch_stack;
+ struct branch_entry *entries = perf_sample__branch_entries(sample);
+ struct pyrf_branch_stack *pstack;
+
+ pstack = PyObject_New(struct pyrf_branch_stack, &pyrf_branch_stack__type);
+ if (!pstack) {
+ Py_DECREF(pevent);
+ return NULL;
+ }
+ pstack->nr = bs->nr;
+ pstack->entries = calloc(bs->nr, sizeof(struct branch_entry));
+ if (!pstack->entries) {
+ Py_DECREF(pstack);
+ Py_DECREF(pevent);
+ return PyErr_NoMemory();
+ }
+ memcpy(pstack->entries, entries,
+ bs->nr * sizeof(struct branch_entry));
+ pevent->brstack = (PyObject *)pstack;
+ }
return (PyObject *)pevent;
}

@@ -3912,6 +4098,18 @@ PyMODINIT_FUNC PyInit_perf(void)
Py_INCREF(&pyrf_session__type);
PyModule_AddObject(module, "session", (PyObject *)&pyrf_session__type);

+ Py_INCREF(&pyrf_branch_entry__type);
+ if (PyModule_AddObject(module, "branch_entry", (PyObject *)&pyrf_branch_entry__type) < 0) {
+ Py_DECREF(&pyrf_branch_entry__type);
+ goto error;
+ }
+
+ Py_INCREF(&pyrf_branch_stack__type);
+ if (PyModule_AddObject(module, "branch_stack", (PyObject *)&pyrf_branch_stack__type) < 0) {
+ Py_DECREF(&pyrf_branch_stack__type);
+ goto error;
+ }
+
dict = PyModule_GetDict(module);
if (dict == NULL)
goto error;
--
2.54.0.1136.gdb2ca164c4-goog