Re: Tool for producing a cross-reference for global variables

[mfb@mbunix.mitre.org (Michael F Brenner)]

Rush Kester > I'm looking for a global cross-reference of Ada objects
            > P.S. I know that global variables are "poor style."  
            > I didn't write the code, I'm just trying to understand it!

Not bad style, but bad for maintenance because of the additional analysis
of impact of change that global variables require (i.e. increased
coupling).

Robert Dewar > gnatf will provide more or less the information you want. 

This is true in many projects, particularly those that are compilable
by gnat. However, some of the older projects, particularly those
that were developed on Datageneral computers and therefore have
a 16-bit-byte size are difficult. Fatal errors are generated when
fields in record representation specifications overlap (as they
do when 16-bit-byte fields are compiled on an 8-bit-byte compiler).

Are there any way to permit making a cross reference list despite
fatal errors of a kind like this, that is target specific errors?

Actually, it would be nice if there were a way to make all fatal
errors ignorable, that is, into warnings, for use during the
analysis phase, when the program might represent a design, rather
than a finished compilable code. Historically this was called
a TBD option where missing pieces could still be cross-referenced
even though the TBD types, packages, units, and objects were not
fully specified yet.



Robert > GNAT 3.11b, now available in beta form to our customers, 
       > and to be released to our customers very shortly 
       > in final form has a new utility gnatxref which
       > will do exactly what you want. So if you are currently a supported
       > ACT customer, you should contact report@gnat.com with your customer
       > number to get details on how to obtain and use this utility.

This is very good news.