Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcsun!unido!alfrat!roy
From: roy@alfrat.uucp (Roy Phillips)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: Development Environments
Keywords: environments, compilation, compilers, headers
Message-ID: <123@alfrat.uucp>
Date: 5 Sep 90 14:45:01 GMT
References: <27437@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU>
Reply-To: roy@alfrat.UUCP (Roy Phillips)
Organization: A+F System-Entwicklung, W-Germany
Lines: 46

In article <27437@pasteur.Berkeley.EDU> twagner@baobab.berkeley.edu 
(Tim Wagner) writes:

>    There has been some discussion recently concerning solutions        <
>    to the problem of continually recompiling include files, smart      <
>    linkers to aid the prototyping efforts of programmers, etc.         <

One environment that goes a long way to providing this functionality
is that provided by the Eiffel language, in which the language compiler, es,
makes the decision as to what it should recompile for you, based upon
dependencies in the system you are building.  

An SDF (System Description File) lists the directories in which classes
required by the program can be found, so if the compiler finds a statement:

   position: POINT

it scans these source directories (Eiffel's UNIVERSE) for the class point.e
and it's compile-directory point.E, from which the compiler can determine if
the class's interface (ie., the signature of the class's exported features)
has changed (if the implementation has'nt changed, ok, it will just link it in 
at link time). A change in the interface will trigger-off compilation of those
classes that make use of it.  

In addition, many tools are provided for investigating and documenting 
inheritance hierarchies and interface descriptions via class browsers and 
graphical utilities such as *good*.

A handy overview of the features offered can be found in the publication:

   Eiffel: The Environment.  Ref. TR-EI-5/UM

available from:

   Interactive Software Engineering Inc.
   270 Storke Road Suite 7
   Goleta CA 93117  (805-685-1006)

Roy

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