CS601: Software Development for

Scientific Computing
Autumn 2024

Week4: Programming Environment, Makefile

1
 Creating a Program (Program
Development Environment)

Implementation Toolchain Executable

• Tools involved: editors,

IDEs, documentation tools • Tools that are involved: Tools that are involved:
preprocessor, compiler, Profilers, debuggers, code
assembler, loader, linker coverage tools, testing
harnesses etc.

• How to create a program and execute?

• What is the entry point of execution?
• How to pass arguments from
command line?
• How is the program laid out in memory?
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 Creating a Program
• Create your c++ program file

.cpp / .cpp files

.cc /
.C
files

3
 Creating a Program
• Preprocess your c++ program file

.cpp / .cpp /
.cc / .cc /
.C .C
files files
• removes comments from your program,
• expands #include statements

4
 Detour - Conditional Compilation

• Set of 6 preprocessor directives and an operator.

• #if
• #ifdef
• #ifndef
• #elif
• #else
• #endif
• Operator „defined‟
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 #if

#if <constant-expression>
cout<<“CS601”; //This line is compiled only if
#endif <constant-expression> evaluates
to a value > 0 while preprocessing

#define COMP 0 #define COMP 2

#if COMP #if COMP
cout<<“CS601” cout<<“CS601”
#endif #endif
No compiler error Compiler throws error about
missing semicolon
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 #ifdef

#ifdef identifier
//This line is compiled only if identifier
cout<<“CS601”; is defined before the previous line is
#endif seen while preprocessing.

identifier does not require a value to be set. Even if set,

does not care about 0 or > 0.

#define COMP #define COMP 0 #define COMP 2

#ifdef COMP #ifdef COMP #ifdef COMP
cout<<“CS601” cout<<“CS601” cout<<“CS601”
#endif #endif #endif

All three snippets throw compiler error about missing semicolon

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 #else and #elif

1. #ifdef identifier1
2. cout<<“Summer”
3. #elif identifier2
4. cout<<“Fall”;
5. #else
6. cout<<“Spring”;
7. #endif
//preprocessor checks if identifier1 is defined. if so,
line 2 is compiled. If not, checks if identifier2 is
defined. If identifier2 is defined, line 4 is compiled.
Otherwise, line 6 is compiled.

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 defined operator

Example:

#if defined(COMP)
cout<<“Spring”;
#endif
//same as if #ifdef COMP

#if defined(COMP1) || defined(COMP2)

cout<<“Spring”;
#endif
//if either COMP1 or COMP2 is defined, the printf statement is
compiled. As with #ifdef, COMP1 or COMP2 values are
irrelevant.
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 Creating a Program
• Translate your source code to assembly language

.cpp / .cpp / .s
.cc / .cc / files
.C .C
files files

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 Creating a Program
• Translate your assembly code to machine code

.cpp / .cpp / .s .o
.cc / .cc / files files
.C .C
files files

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 Creating a Program
• Get machine code that is part of libraries*

.cpp / .cpp / .s .o
.cc / .cc / files files
.C .C
files files

* Depending upon how you get the library code, linker or loader may be involved.
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 Creating a Program
• Create executable

.cpp / .cpp / .s .o
.cc / .cc / files files
.C .C
files files

1. Either copy the corresponding machine code OR

2. Insert a „stub‟ code to execute the machine code
directly from within the library module
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 Creating a Program
• g++ 4_8_1.cpp -lm

.cpp / .cpp / .s .o
.cc / .cc / files files
.C .C
files files

– g++ is a command to translate your source code (by

invoking a collection of tools)
• Above command produces a.out from .cpp file
– -l option tells the linker to „link‟ the math library 14
 Creating a Program
• g++: other options
-Wall - Show all warnings
-o myexe - create the output machine code in a file called myexe
-g - Add debug symbols to enable debugging
-c - Just compile the file (don‟t link) i.e. produce a .o file
-I/home/mydir -Include directory called /home/mydir
-O1, -O2, -O3 – request to optimize code according to various levels

Always check for program correctness when using

optimizations

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 Creating a Program
• The steps just discussed are „compiled‟ way of
creating a program. E.g. C++
• Interpreted way: alternative scheme where
source code is „interpreted‟ / translated to
machine code piece by piece e.g. MATLAB
• Pros and Cons.
– Compiled code runs faster, takes longer to develop
– Interpreted code runs normally slower, often faster to
develop

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 Creating a Program
• For different parts of the program different
strategies may be applicable.
– Mix of compilation and interpreted – interoperability
• In the context of scientific software, the following
are of concern:
– Computational efficiency
– Cost of development cycle and maintainability
– Availability of high-performant tools / utilities
– Support for user-defined data types

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 Creating a Program - Executable
• a.out is a pattern of 0s and 1s laid out in memory
– sequence of machine instructions
• How do we execute the program?
– ./a.out <optional command line arguments>

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 Makefile or makefile

• Is a file, contains instructions for the make program

to generate a target (executable).
• Generating a target involves:
1. Preprocessing (e.g. strips comments, conditional
compilation etc.)
2. Compiling ( .c -> .s files, .s -> .o files)
3. Linking (e.g. making printf available)
• A Makefile typically contains directives/instructions
on how to do steps 1, 2, and 3.
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 Makefile - Format

1. Contains series of „rules‟-

target: dependencies
[TAB] system command(s)
Note that it is important that there be a TAB character before the system
command (not spaces).
Example: “Dependencies or Prerequisite files” “Recipe”
testgen: testgen.cpp
“target file name” g++ testgen.cpp –o testgen

2. And Macro/Variable definitions -

CFLAGS = -std=c++11 -g -Wall -Wshadow --pedantic -Wvla –Werror
GCC = g++

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 Makefile - Usage

– The „make‟ command (Assumes that a file by name

„makefile‟ or „Makefile‟. exists)

• Run the „make‟ command

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 Makefile - Benefits

• Systematic dependency tracking and building for

projects
– Minimal rebuilding of project
– Rule adding is „declarative‟ in nature (i.e. more intuitive
to read caveat: make also lets you write equivalent rules that are very
concise and non-intuitive.)

• To know more, please read:

https://www.gnu.org/software/make/manual/html_node/index.ht
ml#Top

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