When using the cProfile and pstats modules, I often forget which string keys are available for sorting. It would be nice to add an enum for these so a user could have their linter and IDE check that value pre-runtime.

By subclassing both `str` and `Enum` this proposal would be backwards-compatible with all existing code.

The patch for such a change would be trivial:


1. Add a new Sort class to the pstats module:

class Sort(str, enum.Enum):
    calls = 'calls'  # call count
    cumulative = 'cumulative'  # cumulative time
    cumtime = 'cumtime'  # cumulative time
    file = 'file'  # file name
    filename = 'filename'  # file name
    module = 'module'  # file name
    ncalls = 'ncalls'  # call count
    pcalls = 'pcalls'  # primitive call count
    line = 'line'  # line number
    name = 'name'  # function name
    nfl = 'nfl'  # name/file/line
    stdname = 'stdname'  # standard name
    time = 'time'  # internal time
    tottime = 'tottime'  # internal time


2. Change the print_stats method signature on the profiler base and subclasses to look like this:

def print_stats(self, sort: Sort=Sort.stdname):


Optionally, you could build the Sort enum like below to remove redundant options and increase explicitness:

class Sort(str, enum.Enum):
    call_count = 'calls'
    cumulative_time = 'cumulative'
    filename = 'filename'
    primitive_call_count = 'pcalls'
    line_number = 'line'
    function_name = 'name'
    name_file_line = 'nfl'
    standard_name = 'stdname'
    internal_time = 'time'

To keep backwards compatibility and lesson the burden on new code, simply make the value of the duplicate names be the same:

    cumulative = 'cumulative'
    cumtime = 'cumulative'

This way the standard name is 'cumulative' but 'cumtime' works as well.

Mariatta, would you like to prepare a patch for this.  Ethan and I will review it.

I am taking up to create a patch/pull request for this to get it reviewed.

Thank you, Ratnadeep.
I've been assigned to this issue, and have made some progress on it. I'm away for a conference right now, and I plan on getting back once I'm back.
Will it be possible for you to work on a different issue?
Thanks.

It's good to hear that you're working on it. You can go ahead with this. Anyways, I will be around to see and learn how you fix this issue :)

Mariatta, is there any movement on this issue?

Thanks!

Marriatta, perhaps it is time to let Ratnadeep work on this issue?

Thanks for checking in, Ethan.

Sorry, since this was first assigned to me, I got pre-occupied with other issues and projects in the core-workflow.

Ratnadeep, if you are still interested, please go ahead with this issue. I've unassigned myself.

Thanks.

I'd like to try to work on this one

New changeset 863b1e4d0e95036bca4e97c1b8b2ca72c19790fb by Ethan Furman (mwidjaja) in branch 'master':
bpo-29237: Create enum for pstats sorting options (GH-5103)
https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/863b1e4d0e95036bca4e97c1b8b2ca72c19790fb

Can this one be closed since it was an enhancement and doesn't need to be backported?

Thanks for catching that!