NAME

idl - Invokes the Interface Definition Language (IDL) compiler

SYNOPSIS

idl filename [argument]...

ARGUMENTS

-client file_typeDetermines which client files to generate. If you do not specify this argument, the compiler generates all client files. File types are

noneDoes not generate client files. 

stubGenerates only a client stub file. 

auxGenerates only a client auxiliary file. A client auxiliary file is generated only if the interface contains any out-of-line or self-pointing types. 

allGenerates client stub and client auxiliary files. This is the default and is the same as not specifying the -client argument. 

-server file_typeDetermines which server files to generate. If you do not specify this argument, the compiler generates all server files. File types are

noneDoes not generate server files. 

stubGenerates only a server stub file. 

auxGenerates only a server auxiliary file. A server auxiliary file is generated only if the interface contains any out-of-line, self-pointing, or pipe types. 

allGenerates server stub and server auxiliary files. This is the default and is the same as not specifying the -server argument. 

-cstub filenameSpecifies a pathname for the client stub file. When you give a filename do not give a file extension; the idl compiler appends .c to the C source file and .o to the object file.  If you do not use the -cstub option, the idl compiler appends _cstub.c to the C source file and _cstub.o to the object file. 

-sstub filenameSpecifies a pathname for the server stub file. When you give a filename do not give a file extension; the idl compiler appends .c to the C source file and .o to the object file.  If you do not use the -sstub option, the idl compiler appends _sstub.c to the C source file and _sstub.o to the object file. 

-caux filenameSpecifies a pathname for the client auxiliary file. When you give a filename do not give a file extension; the idl compiler appends .c to the C source file and .o to the object file.  If you do not use the -caux option, the idl compiler appends _caux.c to the C source file and _caux.o to the object file. 

-saux filenameSpecifies a pathname for the server auxiliary file. When you give a filename do not give a file extension; the idl compiler appends .c to the C source file and .o to the object file.  If you do not use the -caux option, the idl compiler appends _saux.c to the C source file and _saux.o to the object file. 

-header header_fileAllows you to specify a name for the generated header file. By default the compiler takes the basename of the IDL file and appends the .h extension to it. 

-out directoryPlaces the output files in the directory you specify. By default the compiler places the output files in the current working directory. 

-IdirectorySpecifies a directory name that contains imported interface definition files. You can specify more than one directory by specifying additional -Idirectory arguments on the command line. The compiler searches the directories in the order you list them. If a file is present in more than one directory, the compiler takes the first occurrence of the file. The default behavior of the compiler is to first search the current directory, then all directories you specify, then the system IDL directory. The directory you specify is also passed to the C preprocessor and the C compiler. 

-no_def_idirSpecifies that the compiler search only the current directory for imported files. When you use this with -Idirectory, the compiler searches only the directories you list, not the current directory, and not the system IDL directory. 

-no_mepvCauses the compiler not to generate a manager entry point vector (EPV) in the server stub. Use this argument if the manager code and IDL file do not use the same operation names. If you specify this argument you must provide an EPV within the manager code that can be used when the interface is registered with the RPC server runtime. It is not necessary to use this argument if the operation names in the manager code and IDL file are the same. In this case, the compiler generates a manager EPV in the server stub using the names of the operations in the IDL file.  The name of the EPV is if_name_vmajor-version_minor-version_epv where if_name is the interface name. 

-cepvGenerates local routines in the client stub file (filename_cstub.c) and defines a client entry point vector (CEPV) of the name if_name_vmajor-version_minor-version_c_epv where if_name is the interface name. The CEPV contains the addresses of the local routines. The client code must call the routines indirectly by using the addresses in the CEPV otherwise, the stub routines in the client stub file must have the same names as the operations in the IDL file. (For information on registering the server, see the rpc_intro(3) and rpc_server_register_if(3) man pages.) 

-cpp_cmd ’c_preprocessor_command_line’
Allows you to specify a C preprocessor other than the default. The compiler invokes the C preprocessor found in that command line. The output of the C preprocessor is an expanded version of the input file(s) containing replacement text for any preprocessor directives (for example, the #include preprocessor directive). 

-cpp_opt ’command_options’
Specifies additional options to be passed to the C preprocessor. You can add options to the command line used to invoke the C preprocessor independent of the -cpp_cmd argument. The IDL compiler concatenates the -cpp_cmd, -cpp_opt, -D, -U, -I arguments, and source filename into a command used to invoke the C preprocessor. The compiler repeats this process for each attribute configuration file (ACF) and IDL file. 

-no_cppDoes not invoke the C preprocessor. Note that the C preprocessor must be run on files that contain preprocessor directives (such as #include) in the interface definition. 

-cc_cmd ’command_line’
Invokes the C compiler and compiler options you specify in the ’command_line’ argument rather than the default C compiler and compiler options. 

-cc_opt ’command_options’
Specifies additional options to be passed to the C compiler. You can add options to the command line used to invoke the C compiler independent of the -cc_cmd argument. The IDL compiler concatenates the -cc_cmd, -cc_opt, -I arguments, and source filename into a command that invokes the C compiler. This procedure is done for each generated stub or auxiliary file. 

-Dname[=definition]Defines a symbol name and an optional value to be passed to the C preprocessor. You can use this method of defining a symbol instead of using #define in the source code. You can use more than one -Dname argument on the command line. This argument has no effect if you use the -no_cpp argument. 

-UnameRemoves (undefines) any initial definition of a symbol name as defined by -Dname. You can use this method to remove a symbol name instead of using #undef in the source code.  You can use more than one -Uname argument on the command line.  This argument has no effect if you use the -no_cpp argument. If you define and undefine a name on the same command line, undefining takes precedence. 

-space_optGenerates code for the marshalling and unmarshalling of data that is optimized for space, rather than speed. 

-syntax_onlyChecks only the syntax of the IDL file but does not generate any output files. 

-keep file_typesSpecifies which files to retain. To produce the object modules, the IDL compiler first creates C source modules, then invokes the target C compiler to produce object modules, and finally, deletes the C source modules.  If you do not use -keep, only the object modules are saved.  File types are:

noneDoes not save the C source or the object modules. Does not invoke the C compiler. 

c_sourceSaves only the C source modules. Does not invoke the C compiler. 

objectSaves only the object modules. 

allSaves both the C source and the object modules. 

-bug n

-no_bug nRetains (-bug) or does not retain (-no_bug) a specified bug from earlier IDL compiler versions. This is desirable if a bug fix introduces incompatibilities between the old incorrect behavior (-bug) and the new correct behavior (-no_bug). The n specifies the number of the bug in the NCS Version 1 Network Interface Definition Language (NIDL) compiler that may be incompatible with the new IDL compiler. You can specify more than one bug or no bug argument on the command line. By default, no bugs are preserved.  Bug numbers are:

-bug 1If a varying [v1_array] with no elements is marshalled, required pad bytes preceding subsequent parameters are sometimes missing. 

-bug 2If a varying [v1_array] with no elements is marshalled, extra pad bytes preceding subsequent parameters are sometimes included. 

-bug 3Defines the value of ndr_true to be 0xFF, instead of 0x01. For new development in NCS 2.0 RPC, the symbol idl_true and the obsolete symbol ndr_true are defined as 0x01. However, if you specify the -bug 3 option, both symbols are defined with the value 0xFF. 

-stdinTakes the standard output of a previous utility as the input to the idl command. For example:

$ cat my_filename.idl | idl -stdin

-versionDisplays the current version of the IDL compiler. 

-vPrints informational messages (verbose mode) on the screen while the compiler is running. 

-no_warnSuppresses compiler warning messages. 

-confirmDisplays all the idl command arguments you chose but does not compile the source IDL file. If you use this with the -v argument, informational messages about how the compiler behaves if you do not use -confirm are displayed but no corresponding actions are performed. 

DESCRIPTION

The idl command invokes the IDL compiler to convert an interface definition, written in IDL, into output files. The output files include a header file, server stub file, client stub file, and auxiliary files. The compiler constructs the names of the output files by keeping the basename of the interface definition source file but replacing the filename extension with the new extension (or suffix and extension) appropriate to the newly generated type of output file.  For example, math.idl could produce math_sstub.c or math_sstub.o for the server stub. 

The idl command accepts the following input:

       •An interface definition filename

       •Arguments to indicate either special actions to be performed by the compiler, or special properties of the input or output files

The IDL compiler searches through directories for any related ACF. For example, if you compile a file named source.idl, the compiler automatically searches for a file named source.acf. The compiler also searches for any imported IDL file (and its related ACF).   The compiler searches for these files using the following order:

     1.The current working directory. The compiler always searches this directory unless you specify the -no_def_idir and -Idirectory arguments together. 

     2.Any imported directory. The compiler searches each directory you are specifying in the -Idirectory argument. 

     3.The system IDL directory.  The compiler automatically imports nbase.idl which resides in the system IDL directory.  The compiler always searches this directory unless you specify the -no_def_idir argument. 

     4.The directory specified in the source filename.  If you explicitly specify a directory in the source IDL pathname, then that directory is searched for the corresponding ACF.  For example,

$ idl /path/pathname/my_source.idl

causes the IDL compiler to look for /path/pathname/my_source.acf if my_source.acf is not found in the directories in 1 through 3 above.  Note that this directory is not searched for any imported IDL file or its corresponding ACF. 

FILES

/lib/cppC-preprocessor

<dceshared>/bin/idlCompiler

<dceshared>/includeSystem IDL directory for imported files

<dceshared>/include/nbase.idlPredefined IDL types

<dceshared>/include/nbase.acfPredefined ACF types

<dceshared>/nls/msg/LANG/idl.catCompiler error messages

<dceshared>/share/include/file.extAll .idl or .h files that are part of RPC

CAUTIONS

The IDL compiler generates ANSI C code. It also supports C compilers that are not fully ANSI-compiliant although a warning message may occur during compilation of the stubs by the C compiler. A C compiler that is not fully ANSI-compliant may generate the following warning messages:

       •warning: & before array or function: ignored

       •warning: enumeration type clash, operator =

RESTRICTIONS

The following filenames are reserved by the IDL compiler. Naming an IDL file with one of these names may result in unexpected behavior. 

iovector.idllbase.idl

nbase.idlncastat.idl

ndrold.idlrpc.idl

rpcbase.idlrpcpvt.idl

rpcsts.idlrpctypes.idl

twr.idluuid.idl

EXAMPLES

     1.Invoke the IDL compiler to compile the interface definition file test.idl and keep the generated C source modules. Only server files are generated.  The server stub default filename is overridden by creating a file named test_ss.c for the server stub module. The server auxiliary default filename is overridden by creating a file named test_sa.c for the server auxiliary module. 

$ idl test.idl -keep c_source -client none -sstub test_ss.c -saux test_sa.c

     2.Invoke the IDL compiler to compile the interface definition file test.idl but do not run the C preprocessor. The manager entry point vector is not defined in the generated server stub module. The IDL compiler searches the parent directory of the current directory for any IDL files that test.idl could import. The generated output files are located in the output subdirectory under the current directory. 

$ idl test.idl -no_cpp -no_mepv -I.. -out ./output