pTAL Reference Manual (G06.24+, H06.09+, J06.03+)

16 Compiling and Linking pTAL Programs
Input to the compiler is a source file containing pTAL source text (such as data declarations,
statements, compiler directives, and comments).
Output from the compiler is a linkfile consisting of relocatable code and data blocks.
To produce an executable pTAL program, link one or more linkfiles into a single loadfile (see
Figure 13).
Figure 13 Compiling and Linking pTAL Programs
Topics:
• Compiling Source Files (page 355)
• Linking Object Files (page 358)
• Creating a Dynamic Linked Library (DLL) (page 362)
• Compiling With Global Data Blocks (page 362)
• Compiling With Saved Global Data (page 366)
• Using the Code Profiling Utilities (page 366)
NOTE: The remainder of this section applies only to Guardian platforms. To compile and link
pTAL programs on Windows platforms, see Chapter 18 (page 426).
Compiling Source Files
The compiler reads input files, produces output files, and uses swap files and temporary files as
needed. On Guardian platforms, you use HP TACL commands to compile source files. The compiler
accepts information you specify in HP TACL commands (DEFINE, PARAM, and ASSIGN) if you
issue them before you run the compiler. For a summary of HP TACL commands, see Appendix B
(page 518).
Compiling Source Files 355