This section describes some aspects of compiling and linking programs. In the following example, CC is used to compile three source files and to link the object files to produce an executable file named prgrm.
example% CC file1.cc file2.cc file3.cc -o prgrm |
In the previous example, the compiler automatically generates the loader object files (file1.o, file2.o and file3.o) and then invokes the system linker to create the executable program for the file prgrm.
After compilation, the object files (file1.o, file2.o,and file3.o) remain. This convention permits you to easily relink and recompile your files.
If only one source file is compiled and a program is linked in the same operation, the corresponding .o file is deleted automatically. To preserve all .o files, do not compile and link in the same operation unless more than one source file gets compiled.
If the compilation fails, you will receive a message for each error. No .o files are generated for those source files with errors, and no executable program is written.
You can compile and link in separate steps. The -c option compiles source files and generates .o object files, but does not create an executable. Without the -c option, the compiler invokes the linker. By splitting the compile and link steps, a complete recompilation is not needed just to fix one file. The following example shows how to compile one file and link with others in separate steps:
example% CC -c file1.cc Make new object file example% CC -o prgrm file1.o file2.o file3.o Make executable file |
Be sure that the link step lists all the object files needed to make the complete program. If any object files are missing from this step, the link will fail with “undefined external reference” errors (missing routines).
If you compile and link in separate steps, consistent compiling and linking is critical when using the compiler options listed in 3.3.3 Compile-Time and Link-Time Options.
If you compile a subprogram using any of these options, you must link using the same option as well:
In the case of the -library, -fast, -xtarget, and -xarch options, you must be sure to include the linker options that would have been passed if you had compiled and linked together. Use —dryrun to see the expansion of these options to determine the options needed on the link step.
With -p, -xpg, and -xprofile, including the option in one phase and excluding it from the other phase will not affect the correctness of the program, but you will not be able to do profiling.
With -g and -g0, including the option in one phase and excluding it from the other phase will not affect the correctness of the program, but it will affect the ability to debug the program. Any module that is not compiled with either of these options, but is linked with -g or -g0 will not be prepared properly for debugging. Note that compiling the module that contains the function main with the -g option or the -g0 option is usually necessary for debugging.
In the following example, the programs are compiled using the -library=stlport4 compiler option.
example% CC -library=stlport4 sbr.cc -c example% CC -library=stlport4 main.cc -c example% CC -library=stlport4 sbr.o main.o -o myprogram |
If you do not use -library=stlport4 consistently, some parts of the program will use the deafult libCstd, and others will use the optional replacement STlport library. The resulting program might not link, and would not in any case run correctly.
If the program uses templates, it is possible that some templates will get instantiated at link time. In that case the command line options from the last line (the link line) will be used to compile the instantiated templates.
Use the new -m64 option to specify the memory model of the target compilation. The resulting executable will work only on 64-bit UltraSPARC or x86 processors under Solaris OS or Linux OS running a 64-bit kernel. Compilation linking, and execution of 64-bit objects can only take place in a Solaris or Linux OS that supports 64-bit execution.
The -V option displays the name and version number of each program invoked by CC. The -v option displays the full command lines invoked by CC.
The —verbose=%all displays additional information about the compiler.
Any arguments on the command line that the compiler does not recognize are interpreted as linker options, object program file names, or library names.
The basic distinctions are:
Unrecognized options, which are preceded by a dash (–) or a plus sign (+), generate warnings.
Unrecognized nonoptions, which are not preceded by a dash or a plus sign, generate no warnings. (However, they are passed to the linker. If the linker does not recognize them, they generate linker error messages.)
In the following example, note that -bit is not recognized by CC and the option is passed on to the linker (ld), which tries to interpret it. Because single letter ld options can be strung together, the linker sees -bit as -b -i -t, all of which are legitimate ld options. This might not be what you intend or expect:
example% CC -bit move.cc < - -bit is not a recognized CC option CC: Warning: Option -bit passed to ld, if ld is invoked, ignored otherwise |
In the next example, the user intended to type the CC option -fast but omitted the leading dash. The compiler again passes the argument to the linker, which in turn interprets it as a file name:
example% CC fast move.cc < - The user meant to type -fast move.CC: ld: fatal: file fast: cannot open file; errno=2 ld: fatal: File processing errors. No output written to a.out |
The C++ compiler package consists of a front end, optimizer, code generator, assembler, template prelinker, and link editor. The CC command invokes each of these components automatically unless you use command-line options to specify otherwise.
Because any of these components may generate an error, and the components perform different tasks, it may be helpful to identify the component that generates an error. Use the -v and -dryrun options to help with this.
As shown in the following table, input files to the various compiler components have different file name suffixes. The suffix establishes the kind of compilation that is done. Refer to Table 2–1 for the meanings of the file suffixes.
Table 2–2 Components of the C++ Compilation System
Component |
Description |
Notes on Use |
---|---|---|
Front end (compiler preprocessor and compiler) | ||
Code optimizer |
-xO[2-5], -fast |
|
x86: Intermediate language translator |
-xO[2-5], -fast |
|
SPARC: Inline expansion of assembly language templates |
.il file specified |
|
Assembler | ||
SPARC: Code generator, inliner, assembler |
|
|
ube |
x86: Code generator |
-xO[2-5], -fast |
Template pre-linker |
used only with the -instances=extern option |
|
link editor |