Phases of the Compiling System

When you compile a C++ source program using either compiler mode or translator mode, HP C++ invokes the preprocessor Cpp.ansi on your programs that have the file name suffix .c or .C. The preprocessor examines all lines beginning with a #, performs the corresponding actions and macro replacements, and produces a preprocessed version of your program with the file name suffix .i. The .i file is created in a directory used to store temporary files.

If the next phase, compiling with cfront, is successful, the .i file in the temporary directory is deleted by default. Use the -P option to save the .i files.

For more information on the preprocessor, see Chapter 2 “The HP C++ Preprocessor”, "The HP C++ Preprocessor."

When you use the default compiler mode, the compilation phase runs cfront in compiler mode. cfront compiles the preprocessed C++ code and generates object code in the .o file.

cfront also creates a map file, a temporary file containing information about the data types in your code.

In compiler mode the C++ code is not translated to C code.

The compile-time template processing phase runs c++ptcomp which merges the map file into the repository.

The link-time template processing phase runs c++ptlink and retrieves information about templates from the repository to automatically instantiate templates. c++ptlink may create additional object files in the repository. This phase is entered only if templates need to be instantiated.

In the link phase, the CC command invokes the linker, /bin/ld, using the cc interface. The linker produces an executable program that includes the start-up routines from /lib/crt0.o (/opt/langtools/lib/*crt0.o for Versions A.10.01 and later) and any needed library routines from the archive libraries /lib/libc.a, /usr/lib/libC.a, and /usr/lib/libC.ansi.a, or references to library routines from the shared libraries /lib/libc.sl, /usr/lib/libC.sl, and /usr/lib/libC.ansi.sl. If you are using exception handling, the libraries in /usr/lib/CC/eh are used.

External references are resolved, libraries are searched to resolve references to library routines, and the object files are combined into an executable program file, a.out by default.

The patch phase runs c++patch. c++patch links or chains constructors and destructors of nonlocal static objects in the executable file or shared library.

By default, the name of the executable file is a.out.

When you compile a C++ source program using translator mode, HP C++ invokes the preprocessor Cpp.ansi on your programs the same as it does in compiler mode and produces a preprocessed version of your program with the file name suffix .i.

For more information on the preprocessor, see Chapter 2 “The HP C++ Preprocessor”, "The HP C++ Preprocessor."

The translation phase runs cfront in translator mode. cfront takes the output of the preprocessor (the .i files containing C++ source code), performs syntax and type checking, and translates HP C++ source programs to C source programs. The temporary C files created by cfront are exact translations of the C++ code ready for the HP C compiler to compile.

In addition, cfront creates a map file, a temporary file containing information about the data types in your code.

If you specified the -g or -g1 option, cfront also creates a temporary file containing information for the symbolic debugger.

The compile-time template processing phase runs c++ptcomp which merges the map file into the repository.

In translator mode the compilation phase runs the C compiler, cc, which compiles the translated C source code and generates object code in the .o file.

When you use translator mode and you compile with either the -g or -g1 option, your files go through the merge phase. This phase runs c++merge and merges the debug information from the temporary file into the object file so you can use the symbolic debugger.

When you use compiler mode and specify either -g or -g1 the HP C++ compiler adds the debug information directly to the object file.

The link-time template processing phase runs c++ptlink and retrieves information about templates from the repository to automatically instantiate templates. c++ptlink may create additional object files in the repository. This phase is entered only if templates need to be instantiated.

In the link phase, the CC command invokes the linker, /bin/ld, using the cc interface. The linker produces an executable program that includes the start-up routines from /lib/crt0.o (/opt/langtools/lib/*crt0.o for Versions A.10.01 and later) and any needed library routines from the archive libraries /lib/libc.a, /usr/lib/libC.a, and /usr/lib/libC.ansi.a, or references to library routines from the shared libraries /lib/libc.sl, /usr/lib/libC.sl, and /usr/lib/libC.ansi.sl. If you are using exception handling, the libraries in /usr/lib/CC/eh are used.

External references are resolved, libraries are searched to resolve references to library routines, and the object files are combined into an executable program file, a.out by default.

The patch phase runs c++patch. c++patch links or chains constructors and destructors of nonlocal static objects in the executable file or shared library.

By default, the name of the executable file is a.out.