Source code must be compiled before the program can be executed. The source code can be written and edited by the programmer, but since it cannot be directly interpreted by the mvBase system until it is translated into object code, the compiler translates source code into object code and places a pointer to the object code in the file dictionary.
The compiler can therefore be thought of as a translator from your language (or more accurately, the language of mvBASIC) into the machine’s language.
Two (synonymous) commands can be used to compile a program, BASIC and COMPILE.
Format
|
BASIC filename progname-list [(version#,options)] |
Format
|
COMPILE filename progname-list [(version#,options)] |
Parameter(s)
|
filename |
Name of the mvBASIC program file |
|
progname-list |
Contains the item-IDs of the programs to be compiled. An asterisk (*) specifies all programs in the file. |
For example, to compile the program ADDNUMS in the file BP, type:
|
>COMPILE BP ADDNUMS |
or:
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>BASIC BP ADDNUMS |
If the compile is successful, the user sees something similar to:
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>BASIC BP ADDNUMS ********* SUCCESSFUL COMPILE! 1 FRAMES USED.
> |
The asterisks (*) each represent a source line successfully compiled into object code. If an error occurs in compilation, the error code is printed with a message. See Appendix A: Error Messages for a list of error messages generated by the COMPILE command.
The following topics are presented in this section:
Option for Debugging a Program (X)
Specifying a Version of the Operating System
Obtaining the Compilation Time and Date
See Also