On December 8, 2002 06:01 pm, Patrik Stridvall wrote: > It would be very nice it something made a GNU C compiler > library to support among other things only running > the preprocessor.
Um, you mean like "cpp"? The debian packagers have even split it out from the gcc package for convenience, the package description explains; --------- [snip] The GNU C preprocessor is a macro processor that is used automatically by the GNU C compiler to transform programs before actual compilation. This package has been separated from gcc for the benefit of those who require the preprocessor but not the compiler. [snip] --------- so clearly it can be done, and this is presumably for the reasons Dimitrie mentioned - preprocessing can be a useful (and much faster) subset to separate out from the compilation process. But as for the GPL argument against using the GNU C (pre)compiler from a run-time (ie. "forking/exec of 'gcc -E' is like linking to a GPL lib"), I find that rather hard to believe - especially as invoking "gcc -E" can be framed in very user-supplied terms. Eg. if the user is able to (in theory) configure the program to exec() any precompilation programs (and command-line options) they want, then who is going to sue *who* when the default value for that setting just happens to be "gcc -E" when the program installs? Richard Stallman will sue Redhat? Or will the FSF begin a crackdown against adolescent nerds who illegally point GPL-incompatible configuration files to GPL-licensed precompilers ...? I really don't think this should be a cause for concern. Cheers, Geoff -- Geoff Thorpe [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.geoffthorpe.net/
