Linker ... still useful ?

ram+@cs.cmu.edu "Rob MacLachlan" writes:
> However, I have to admit I'm not sure what could come after current linkers.
> Support for multiple namespaces and initialization is straightforward, but
> interface checking is language dependent, and incremental linking and heap
> preallocation are dependent on the particular implementation as well as on
> the language.
  >
> [A surprisingly effective way to do interface checking is to hang a byte
> string on each procedure symbol that somehow encodes the arguments passed
> (for refs) or expected (for defs) and for the linker to compare the strings
> and complain if they're not the same. ...


The RTL/2 language compilers have included a "linkage verifier" to perform
interface checking since 1972 (i.e. from the first release). The compilers
generate a "cross-reference" text file detailing defs and refs for global
procedures and data items which can then be passed to the linkage verifier
for checking before running whatever linker is being used. Other information
can also be included if useful, such as compiler version or option settings
used. Using a separate file has the advantage that the programmer can add
equivalent information for any modules written in (say) assembler in order
to provide a complete set of definitions.


--
Roger Barnett
--

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