alternative for #46, hybrid approach:

Project.toml

@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ version = "0.0.0"
 
 [deps]
 FileWatching = "7b1f6079-737a-58dc-b8bc-7a2ca5c1b5ee"
+JuliaInterpreter = "aa1ae85d-cabe-5617-a682-6adf51b2e16a"
+LoweredCodeUtils = "6f1432cf-f94c-5a45-995e-cdbf5db27b0b"
 Requires = "ae029012-a4dd-5104-9daa-d747884805df"
 
 [extras]

src/TypeProfiler.jl

@@ -40,11 +40,19 @@ import Base:
     parse_input_line, to_tuple_type, Fix1, Fix2, IdSet
 
 import Base.Meta:
-    isexpr, _parse_string
+    isexpr, _parse_string, lower
 
 import Base.Iterators:
     flatten
 
+using LoweredCodeUtils, JuliaInterpreter
+
+import LoweredCodeUtils:
+    istypedef, ismethod
+
+import JuliaInterpreter:
+    evaluate_call_recurse!, bypass_builtins, maybe_evaluate_builtin, collect_args, is_return
+
 using FileWatching, Requires
 
 const CC = Core.Compiler
@@ -123,6 +131,9 @@ function report_errors(actualmod, text, filename; filter_native_remarks = true)
            gen_postprocess(virtualmod, actualmod)
 end
 
+gen_virtual_module(actualmod = Main) =
+    return Core.eval(actualmod, :(module $(gensym(:TypeProfilerVirtualModule)) end))::Module
+
 # fix virtual module printing based on string manipulation; the "actual" modules may not be
 # loaded into this process
 function gen_postprocess(virtualmod, actualmod)
@@ -133,12 +144,28 @@ function gen_postprocess(virtualmod, actualmod)
         Fix2(replace, virtual => actual)
 end
 
+# this dummy module will be used by `istoplevel` to check if the current inference frame is
+# created by `profile_toplevel!` or not (i.e. `@generated` function)
+module toplevel end
+
+function profile_toplevel!(interp::TPInterpreter, mod::Module, src::CodeInfo)
+    # construct toplevel `MethodInstance`
+    mi = ccall(:jl_new_method_instance_uninit, Ref{Core.MethodInstance}, ());
+    mi.uninferred = src
+    mi.specTypes = Tuple{}
+    mi.def = mod
+
+    result = InferenceResult(mi);
+    frame = InferenceState(result, src, #= cached =# true, interp);
+
+    mi.def = toplevel # set to the dummy module
+
+    return profile_frame!(interp, frame)
+end
+
 # TODO:
 # - handle multiple applicable methods ?
 # - `profile_call_builtin!` ?
-
-profile_call_gf(@nospecialize(tt::Type{<:Tuple}), world::UInt = get_world_counter(); kwargs...) =
-    return profile_call_gf!(TPInterpreter(world; kwargs...), tt)
 function profile_call_gf!(interp::TPInterpreter,
                           @nospecialize(tt::Type{<:Tuple}),
                           world::UInt = get_world_counter(interp)
@@ -154,14 +181,31 @@ function profile_call_gf!(interp::TPInterpreter,
 
     frame = InferenceState(result, #= cached =# true, interp)
 
-    return profile_frame(interp, frame)
+    return profile_frame!(interp, frame)
 end
 
 # testing, interactive session
 # ----------------------------
 
+# profile from call expression
+macro profile_call(ex, kwargs...)
+    @assert isexpr(ex, :call) "function call expression should be given"
+    f = first(ex.args)
+    args = ex.args[2:end]
+
+    return quote let
+        argtypes = $(typeof′).(($(map(esc, args)...),))
+        interp, frame = $(profile_call)($(esc(f)), argtypes)
+        $(print_reports)(stdout::IO, interp.reports; $(map(esc, kwargs)...))
+        $(get_result)(frame) # maybe want to widen const ?
+    end end
+end
+
 @nospecialize
 
+profile_call_gf(tt::Type{<:Tuple}, world::UInt = get_world_counter(); kwargs...) =
+    return profile_call_gf!(TPInterpreter(world; kwargs...), tt)
+
 function profile_call(f, argtypes::Type...; kwargs...)
     tt = to_tuple_type([typeof′(f), argtypes...])
     return profile_call_gf(tt; kwargs...)
@@ -174,19 +218,6 @@ typeof′(x::Type{T}) where {T} = Type{T}
 
 @specialize
 
-macro profile_call(ex, kwargs...)
-    @assert isexpr(ex, :call) "function call expression should be given"
-    f = first(ex.args)
-    args = ex.args[2:end]
-
-    return quote let
-        argtypes = $(typeof′).(($(map(esc, args)...),))
-        interp, frame = $(profile_call)($(esc(f)), argtypes)
-        $(print_reports)(stdout::IO, interp.reports; $(map(esc, kwargs)...))
-        $(get_result)(frame) # maybe want to widen const ?
-    end end
-end
-
 # exports
 # -------