US 5,204,960 A · Incremental compiler

Abstract

A system and method of incrementally coupling a high level language into an object file is disclosed. A source file and an object file are organized into logical blocks. An intermediate file, termed an .mdt file, is generated and stores information about the logical blocks in both the source file and the object file and their relationship to each other. Boundaries are established in the source program to define logical blocks within it, each block being termed a function. Each function is further divided into a global region and a local region. If a change has been made in a particular local region in the source file, only that region is recompiled. The recompiled portion of the .obj file is patched into the .obj file to replace the previous material corresponding to that region. Significant time savings is realized by incrementally compiling the source program because only those local regions which have been changed are recompiled and they are patched into the existing .obj file.

Claims13

Dependent claims

The method of incrementally compiling a source file into an object file comprising:

compiling a first version of a source file into a first version of an object file;
storing data corresponding to check points within said source file;
storing data corresponding to check points within said object file;
editing said source file;
recompiling a portion of said source file which includes said edited region of said source file and patching it into said first version of said object file to create a second version of said object file, said portion that is recompiled being selected using said stored check points within said source file and said stored check points within said object file.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Incremental compiler

Life of this patent

Incremental compiler

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13