Re: Tools Generating Ada

[Robert A Duff <bobduff@shell01.TheWorld.com>]

Vincent DIEMUNSCH <vincent.diemunsch@gmail.com> writes:

> Does the linker, or the binder, modify the ALI file ?

The builder (gnatmake or gprbuild) reads the ALI files
(or takes note of the fact that some ALI files don't
exist) in order to decide what needs to be compiled.

The compiler writes the ALI files.

The binder reads the ALI files to check that everything
is up-to-date and consistent (but this step is normally
skipped when you use the builder, because the builder
already makes sure of that).  The binder does not write
on the ALI files.

ALI files are specific to GNAT/Ada.  The linker is language
independent, so it doesn't know anything about ALI files,
and neither reads nor writes them.

- Bob