Method and apparatus for incremental selective compilation of intermediate code files during computer system compilation and linking

A method for incremental selective compiling, in a computer system having an intermediate code file, an object code file being compiled from said intermediate code file, a file system having a directory, and at least one instruction, comprising:

• associating a first instruction with said intermediate code file;
• hashing a first hash value from said first instruction and associating said first hash value with said intermediate code file;
• associating a second instruction with said object code file and said compiled intermediate code file;
• and
• hashing a second hash value from said second instruction, associating said second hash value with said object code file, comparing said first hash value with said second hash value, and reusing said object code file when said first hash value matches said second hash value for saving resources of said computer system.

An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium having computer readable code embodied therein for incremental selective compiling;

• in a computer system having computer readable program code for an intermediate code file, for an object code file being compiled from said intermediate code file, for a file system having a directory, and for at least one instruction, said article of manufacture comprising:
• computer readable program code for associating a first instruction with said intermediate code file;
• computer readable program code for hashing a first hash value from said first instruction and associating said first hash value with said intermediate code file;
• computer readable code for associating a second instruction with said object code file and said compiled intermediate code file;
• and
• computer readable program code for hashing a second hash value from said second instruction, for associating said second hash value with said object code file, for comparing said first hash value with said second hash value, and for reusing said object code file when said first hash value matches said second hash value for saving resources of said computer system.

A computer readable memory device encoded with a data structure having entries, for executing an incremental selective compiler tool for compilation of an intermediate code file entry;

• in a computer system having an object code file entry being compiled from said intermediate code file entry, a file system entry having a directory entry, and at least one instruction entry, said memory device comprising:
• a first instruction entry being associated with said intermediate code file entry;
• a first hash value entry hashed from said first instruction entry and associated with said intermediate code file entry;
• a second instruction being associated with said object code file entry and with said compiled intermediate code file entry;
• and
• a second hash value entry hashed from said second instruction entry and associated with said object code file, said first hash value entry being compared with said second hash value entry, and said object code file entry being reused when said first hash value entry matches said second hash value entry for saving resources of said computer system.