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<CENTER><FONT COLOR="#FFFFFF" SIZE=+3><B>The <TT>compile_to_c</TT> Command</B></FONT></CENTER>
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<BR><BR><BR>

The <TT>compile_to_c</TT> command is the SmartEiffel ANSI C code generator.
Usually this command is called automatically by the
<A HREF="compile.html"><TT>compile</TT></A>
command but you can use it separately to produce C code.
There are
two invocation modes: <I>traditional</I> and <I>ACE</I>.  In traditional mode, a
variety of compiler options can be specified on the command line.  In
ACE mode, these options are not permitted; it is presumed that the
required compiler options are listed in the ACE file.
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<TD NOSAVE><FONT COLOR="#FFFFFF" SIZE="+2">Usage</FONT></TD>
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<P>
<FONT COLOR="#FF00FF"><B>Traditional mode</B></FONT>
<BR>
<TT>compile_to_c [options] &lt;RootClass&gt; [&lt;RootProcedure&gt;]
<BR>
&nbsp;&nbsp;[*.c] [*.o] [-l*] [other options for C compiler/linker]</TT>
<P>
<P>
<FONT COLOR="#FF00FF"><B>ACE mode</B></FONT>
<BR>
<TT>compile_to_c [general_options]
 &lt;ACEfile.ace&gt;</TT>
<P>
In traditional mode, the <TT>compile_to_c</TT> command must be given at
least one argument to indicate
the starting execution point of the system.
Thus your program will start in <I>&lt;RootProcedure&gt;</I> of <I>&lt;RootClass&gt;</I>.
The default <I>&lt;RootProcedure&gt;</I> is <I>make</I>.
</P><P>
In ACE mode, the name of the ACE file must end with the <TT>.ace</TT>
suffix.  For examples of how to use ACE files, have a look in the
<TT>SmartEiffel/tutorial/ace</TT> directory.
</P><P>
The <TT>compile_to_c</TT> command produces all the required C files as
well as a script file. The name of this script file depends on
the operating system used (*.make on Unix or *.BAT on DOS, for 
example).
</P>

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<TD NOSAVE><FONT COLOR="#FFFFFF" SIZE="+2">Load Path for Eiffel Source
Files</FONT></TD>
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<P>
<TT>compile_to_c</TT> uses the technique described in the documentation for the
<A HREF="finder.html"><TT>finder</TT></A> command to locate the Eiffel source files it
tries to compile.  Note that what actually happens depends on the
invocation mode (traditional or ACE).
</P>


<TABLE BORDER=0 COLS=1 WIDTH="100%" BGCOLOR="#3366FF" NOSAVE >
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<TD NOSAVE><FONT COLOR="#FFFFFF" SIZE="+2">General Compiler Options</FONT></TD>
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<P>
<DL COMPACT>
<DT>
<I>-help</I>:<BR>
<DD>
Display a brief summary of the command-line syntax and a complete
list of compiler options.
<BR><BR>
<DT>
<I>-verbose</I>:<BR><DD>
 Print system information during the compilation (full path of 
   files loaded, type inference score, removed files, etc.).
<BR><BR>

<DT>
<I>-version</I>:<BR><DD>
Display the version number of the SmartEiffel release you're using.
<BR><BR>

<DT>
<I>-o &lt;output_name&gt;</I>:<BR><DD>
 Name the executable file <TT>output_name</TT>.
<BR>
This has the same meaning as the <I>-o option</I> of many C compilers. 
<BR><BR>

<DT>
<I>-loadpath &lt;loadpath_file&gt;</I>:<BR><DD>
Adds a loadpath file for class lookup. See details
in the <A HREF="finder.html"><TT>finder man page</TT></A>.


</DL>
</P>

<TABLE BORDER=0 COLS=1 WIDTH="100%" BGCOLOR="#3366FF" NOSAVE >
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<TD NOSAVE><FONT COLOR="#FFFFFF" SIZE="+2">Options to Select Eiffel Compilation Modes (traditional mode only)</FONT></TD>
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<P>
There are eight compilation modes given by the following
option names: <I>-debug_check -all_check -loop_check -invariant_check 
-ensure_check -require_check -no_check</I> and <I>-boost</I>.
These options do change the generated C code (various assertions
levels). 
Only one mode can be selected for the whole system.
Mode <I>-all_check</I> is the default.
<DL COMPACT>
<DT>
<I>-boost</I>:<BR><DD>
Compilation mode with the highest level of optimisations. 
<BR> 
   There are
   no target existence tests and no system-level validity checking.
   Some routines are inlined. No code is generated to get an execution
   trace in case of failure. No assertions are checked.
<BR><BR>
<DT>
<I>-no_check</I>:<BR><DD>
Compilation mode in which no Eiffel assertions are checked.
<BR>
   Target existence tests are performed. Some code is generated
   for system-level validity checking, and to produce an execution
   trace. (An execution stack is managed.)
<BR>
   There is no inlining and no assertion checking.
<BR><BR>
<DT>
<I>-require_check</I>:<BR><DD>
Compilation mode in which Eiffel preconditions
   are checked. 
<BR>
The generated code is similar to that of the previous mode, 
   but also includes code to test preconditions (require clauses).
<BR><BR>
<DT>
<I>-ensure_check</I>:<BR><DD>
The generated code is similar to that of the previous mode, 
   but also includes code to test postconditions (ensure clauses).
<BR><BR>
<DT>
<I>-invariant_check</I>:<BR><DD>
The generated code is similar to that of the previous mode, 
   but also includes code to test class invariants.
<BR><BR>
<DT>
<I>-loop_check</I>:<BR><DD>
The generated code is similar to that of the previous mode, 
   but also includes code to test loop variants and loop invariants.
<BR><BR>
<DT>
<I>-all_check</I>:<BR><DD>
The default mode. The generated code is similar to that of the
   previous mode, but also includes code to execute the instructions
   given in "check" blocks.
<BR><BR>
<DT>
<I>-debug_check</I>:<BR><DD>
The generated code is similar to that of the previous mode, 
   but also includes code to execute the instructions given in "debug"
   blocks. 
   All debugs are checked regardless of the optional string key.
</DL>
</P>

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<TD NOSAVE><FONT COLOR="#FFFFFF" SIZE="+2">Warnings Levels</FONT></TD> 
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<P>
These options affect the compilation process, but do not change the
generated C code.

<DL COMPACT>

<DT>
<I>-no_style_warning</I>:<BR><DD>
Suppress output for warning messages related to the non-respecting of
standard Eiffel
style guidelines (for example, <CODE>ItEm</CODE> will not trigger a warning).
<BR><BR>


<DT>
<I>-case_insensitive</I>:<BR><DD>
Switch case-insensitive mode on.
<BR> 
For example, when this mode is selected, the Eiffel parser considers
that the following identifiers refer to the same feature:
<CODE>item</CODE>, <CODE>ITEM</CODE>,  
<CODE>ItEm</CODE>, ...
<BR><BR>

<DT>
<I>-no_warning</I>:<BR><DD>
Suppress output for all warning messages. (Error messages
are still printed.)
<BR><BR>

</DL>
</P>


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<TD NOSAVE><FONT COLOR="#FFFFFF" SIZE="+2">Advanced Compiler Options
(traditional mode only)</FONT></TD> 
</TR>
</TABLE>
<P>
These options affect the compilation process, but generally do not change the
generated C code (the exception being <I>-c_mode</I>).

<DL COMPACT>

<DT>
<I>-cc &lt;c_compiler&gt;</I>:<BR><DD>
Call <I>&lt;c_compiler&gt;</I> instead of the default C compiler.
   Check the <TT>READ_ME</TT> file in the <TT>SmartEiffel/sys</TT> directory to see
   how to set the default C compiler, as well as the default linker. <EM>This option
   is incompatible with&nbsp;</EM>-c_mode.
<BR><BR>

<DT>
<I>-c_mode &lt;C_mode&gt;</I>:<BR><DD> Uses the given
<I>&lt;C_mode&gt;</I> to determine some C compilation parameters: the C
compiler to use, its options, and maybe some extra options for SmartEiffel to
use (which may change the generated code). See the <A
HREF="install.html#CMODES"><TT>install</TT></A> command for more details about
<EM>C modes</EM>.
<BR><BR>

<DT>
<I>-compact</I>:<BR><DD> Generates a much more compact C code.
<BR><BR>


<DT>
<I>-no_split</I>:<BR><DD>
 Produce only one C file for the whole Eiffel system. 
<BR>
   This may enable the C compiler to inline more function calls. This option
   is useful only to finalise an application (the incremental C 
   compiling mode is switched off with <I>-no_split</I>).
<BR><BR>

<DT>
<I>-no_strip</I>:<BR><DD>
 Do not remove symbol information from the generated executable file.
<BR>
  This option is useful mainly when you need to debug at C code level.
<BR><BR>


<DT>
<A NAME="high_memory_compiler"><I>-high_memory_compiler</I>:</A><BR><DD>
Allow the compiler to use more memory at compile time (caching, bigger
buffers, etc.). Compilation is likely to be quicker, <B>if</B> you have
enough memory (RAM, not disk!)...
<BR><BR>


</DL>

</P>


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<TD NOSAVE><FONT COLOR="#FFFFFF" SIZE="+2">Advanced Options Affecting the
Generated C Code (traditional mode only)</FONT></TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
<P>

<DL COMPACT>


<DT>
<I>-no_gc</I>:<BR><DD>
No Garbage Collector. 
<BR> 
When this option is selected, no GC is produced 
and (at least) one actual malloc is performed for each object creation.
This option is useful when one prefers to use another GC provided 
by an external library (such as the Boehm-Demers-Weiser
conservative GC), or when no GC is needed.
Without the <I>-no_gc</I> flag, SmartEiffel computes a customised GC for
each system.
<BR>
It is important to remember that some architecture-dependent code may be
required for the proper operation of the GC (see the
file <TT>SmartEiffel/sys/gc</TT> for details). 
<BR><BR>

<DT>
<I>-gc_info</I>:<BR><DD>
Garbage Collector status information.
<BR> 
When this option is selected, the GC produced also contains code to display
some status information.
<BR><BR>


<DT>
<I>-cecil &lt;cecil_file&gt;</I>:<BR><DD>
 Allow some Eiffel features to be called
   from C (see the
   <A HREF="cecil.html"><code>cecil</code></A>
   file for details). To call C functions/macros
   from Eiffel see the 
   <A HREF="external.html"><code>external</code></A>
   file.
<BR><BR>

<DT>
<I>-no_main</I>:<BR><DD>
 Don't generate a C <TT>main()</TT> function: thus, the root procedure is not
 started. This is useful when one prefers to start execution from outside 
 before calling Eiffel routines via the cecil interface.
 Before calling the first Eiffel routine one has to call once a predefined
 C function in order to initialise internal runtime information for the 
 Eiffel world (see the example 
 in the directory <TT>SmartEiffel/tutorial/cecil/example7</TT> for details).
<BR><BR>



<DT>
<A NAME="sedb"><I>-sedb</I>:</A><BR><DD>
This option adds the SmartEiffel DeBugger into your
executable system. (The debugger is embedded.)
Thus, to debug your Eiffel system, just recompile your system with 
the <I>-sedb</I> flag and run the executable as usual. 
The very first screen gives you access to the on-line documentation
and the debugger is waiting for your first command.
<BR>
The <TT>sedb</TT> debugger features step by step execution, 
navigation into the run-time stack,
multi-conditions breakpoints,
garbage collector invocation and profiling support.
<BR>
When profiling support is activated (see command <TT>T</TT> of
<TT>sedb</TT>), a "trace.se" file is generated at execution time.
When one interactively chooses the generation of this trace 
file, a (usually huge) "trace.se" file is created in the 
launch directory which shows the code the program is executing: 
which line, which column, in which Eiffel source file.
Because all classes are traced, "trace.se" is a huge file even for 
a small program.
<BR>
Feature <I>GENERAL.trace_switch</I> allows trace generation to be
turned on/off dynamically. At run time, if the argument of
<I>trace_switch</I> is true, trace printing is switched on. 
(Conversely, false means switch off trace printing.) 
<BR>
The <I>-sedb</I> option is not effective in conjunction 
with <I>-boost</I>. Using <I>-sedb</I> with <I>-boost</I> has the 
same effect as using <I>-sedb</I> with <I>-no_check</I>.
<BR><BR>

<DT>
<A NAME="manifest_string_trace"><I>-manifest_string_trace</I>:</A><BR><DD>
This option adds some extra code into the executable in order 
to track non-once manifest string allocations.
The default behaviour is to print an information message each time a 
non-once manifest string is allocated at runtime.
The message also indicates the position of the corresponding 
manifest string in the Eiffel source file.
This default behaviour can be adapted to your needs by modifying 
the <TT>SmartEiffel/sys/runtime/manifest_string_trace.c</TT> file.
<BR><BR>

<DT>
<I>-wedit</I>:<BR><DD>
Add Wedit support.
<BR> 
When this option is used, the generated C code includes
some support for the Wedit debugger.
<BR><BR>

</DL>
</P>




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<P>
Any remaining options, *.c files, *.o files, -l* libraries, C optimisations options... are passed to the C compiler/linker. They do not affect the Eiffel to C
compilation process.
</P>


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Copyright &copy; Dominique COLNET and Suzanne COLLIN -
<A HREF="mailto:SmartEiffel@loria.fr">&lt;SmartEiffel@loria.fr&gt;</A>
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Last modified: Tue Feb 11 12:13:11 CET 2003
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