Compiling & Cataloguing Infobasic Programs & Subroutines

Just like programs written in any programming language need to be compiled, Infobasic programs also need to be compiled. Compilation is the process of converting the code into assembly language that the machine can understand. Once programs/subroutines are compiled, object codes get produced. These object codes get stored in specific directories.

Compiling Infobasic Subroutines

When T24 is installed, a directory named “globuslib” and “lib” get installed under the home directory (run directory) of the user. The directory “globuslib” contains the object code of all core subroutines and the directory “lib” is supposed to contain the object code of all local subroutines. When a subroutine is compiled, an object code is produced. For instance when a subroutine TEMENOS whose source is under the BP directory is compiled an object code $TEMENOS is produced and is placed under the directory BP (The source directory). A subroutine also needs to be catalogued. The process of cataloguing refers an environmental variable called JBCDEV_LIB to obtain the path where it has to place the object file that is to be created. Once the path is obtained, the object code is placed under one of the library files under that path. Therefore, all object codes of all subroutines get stored under a library file under the path pointed to by the environmental variable JBCDEV_LIB. The library files mentioned above are controlled by a configuration file named jLibDefinition, which is present under the jBASE config directory (Referred by the environmental variable JBCGLOBALDIR). The jLibDefinition file specifies the naming convention of the library files and the maximum size of them as well. jBASE decides, under which library file the object code has to reside. If none of the existing library files under the directory pointed by the JBCDEV_LIB have space to store a new object code then jBASE will automatically create a new library file by referring the jLibDefinition file. jBASE will also swap object codes from one library file to another in order to utilize the existing space inside the library files to the maximum.

When a subroutine is executed, the environmental variable JBCOBJECTLIST is referred as it contains the search path for all T24 subroutines. It is similar to that of the Unix PATH variable that contains the search path of all Unix executables.

JBCDEV_LIB=$HOME/lib

JBCOBJECTLIST=$HOME/lib.$HOME/globuslib

Compiling Infobasic Programs

When T24 is installed, two directories namely “globusbin” and “bin” get installed under the home directory (run directory) of the user. The directory “globusbin” contains the core T24 executables and the directory “bin” is supposed to contain the non-core/local executables. When a program is compiled an executable is produced. For instance when a program TEMENOS whose source is in the BP directory is compiled, an executable with the name $TEMENOS gets created under the BP (Source directory). The process of cataloguing refers an environmental variable JBCDEV_BIN to obtain the directory into which this executable needs to be placed.

When a program is executed, jBASE refers an environmental variable PATH, which contains the search path of jBASE executables as well. PATH, as you would be aware of by now, is not a jBASE variable but a UNIX variable and contains the search path of UNIX executables.

JBCDEV_BIN=$HOME/bin

PATH=$HOME/bin:$HOME/globusbin:$PATH

The values of JBCDEV_BIN, JBCDEV_LIB, JBCOBJECTLIST and PATH can be changed accordingly depending upon the requirement.

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