Hello Yigal,

BCS wrote:

Reply to Yigal,

BCS wrote:

Hello Yigal,

C# assemblies are analogous to C/C++/D libs.
you can't create a standalone executable in D just by parsing the
D
source files (for all the imports) if you need to link in external
libs.
you need to at least specify the lib name if it's on the linker's
search path or provide the full path otherwise.
pagma(lib, ...); //?

that's a compiler directive. nothing prevents a C# compiler to
implement this. In general though this is a bad idea. why would you
want to embed such outside data inside your code?

Because it's needed to build the code

info needed for building your task should not be part of the code.

IMO it should. Ideally it should be available in the code in a form
tools can read. At a minimum, it should be in the comment header. The
only other choice is placing it outside your code and we have already
covered why I think that is a bad idea.

what if I want to rename the lib,

So you rename the lib and whatever references to it (inside the code
or outside) end up needing to be update. Regardless, you will need to
update something by hand or have a tool do it for you. I see nothing
harder about updateing it in the code than outside the code.

do I have to recompile everything?

Nope. pragma(lib, ...) just passes a static lib to the linker and
doesn't have any effect at runtime. (if you are dealing with .dll/.so
libraries then you link in a export .lib with a pragma or load them
manually and don't even worry about it at all)

what if I don't have the source?

It's pointing at a static library so source doesn't matter. If you
are working from source then you don't need the pragma and what
matters is DMD's import path (if it is an unrelated code tree in
which cases the path can be developer specific and needs to be set up
per system).

what if I want to change the version?

In that case you change the pragma. (again assuming static libs and
the same side note for dynamic libs)

what if I want to switch a vendor for this lib?

I have never heard of this being possible without major changes in
the calling code so it don't matter.

What I was trying to say is that you're hardcoding the lib name and
version inside the code. I see two problems with this: if the pragma
is
in my code than I need to re-compile my code if I want to edit the
pragma (rename lib, change version, change vendor, etc...)
if the pragma is in some 3rd party component which I don't have the
source for than I can't change the pragma.
either way, it conflicts with my work-flow and goals.
I do not wish to recompile a 1.5GB standalone executable if I just
changed a minor version of a lib.

I see you point but I think it is invalid.

For starters, I could be wrong but I think that the use of pragma(lib,) can't be detected in object code, I think It just instructs DMD to pass the lib on to the linker when it gets called by DMD. If I am wrong about that I still think it doesn't matter because (as far as static libraries go) I think it would a very BAD idea to try and switch them out from under a closed source lib. Third, if you really want to go mucking around with those internals, you can always copy the new lib over the old one.


IIRC, the math lib in C/C++ comes in three flavors so you can choose
your trade-off (speed or accuracy) and the only thing you need to do
is just link the flavor you want in your executable.

Everything needs a math lib so there will be a default. I'd not willing to second guess the original programmer if they choose to switch to another lib. The same goes for other libs as well. If you start switching to libs that the lib's programmer doesn't explicitly support, your already on your own and you have bigger problems than what I'm talking about.

you seem keen on combining the build process with compilation which is
in my experience a very bad thing. it may simplify your life for your
small projects but as I was telling you before it's a pain in the neck
for the scale of projects I work on. I don't get why you refuse to see
that. what you suggest is _not_ a good solution for me.

What I want is a language where most of the time you build a project from only the information in the source code. What I don't want is a language where the only way to keep track of the information you need to build a project, is with an external data file. I don't want that because the only practical way to do that is _force_ the programmer to use an IDE and have it maintain that file.


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