[[Property:title|EiffelStudio: Using command line options]]
[[Property:link_title|Using command line options]]
[[Property:weight|1]]
[[Property:uuid|a6b6a676-8660-ce2d-6f37-03de7f23a78e]]
==Compiling and viewing==
The Eiffel Compiler line mode command '''ec''' has many options, as you can see from the tables below. It may be helpful to think of any one '''ec''' command as either a command to compile or a command to view software text.
==Getting help==
You can get details of the usage and options of the '''ec''' command by executing the command with the '''-help''' option.
ec -help
The usage and options display gives you information about which options are valid in a particular command context. Use this display along with the table below to choose the options that meet your needs.
Usage and options of the command line compiler vary from version to version in order to accommodate new and changed features. Here is an example of the command line help from the latest version of EiffelStudio:
ISE EiffelStudio version 14.05.9.5158 GPL Edition - win64
Usage:
ec [-help | [-compat | -experiment] | -version | -full
-batch | -clean | -verbose | -use_settings |
-freeze | -finalize [-keep] | -precompile [-finalize [-keep]] | -c_compile |
-loop | -debug | -quick_melt | -melt | -clients [-filter filtername] class |
-suppliers [-filter filtername] class |
-flatshort [-filter filtername] [-all | -all_and_parents | class] |
-flat [-filter filtername] [-all | -all_and_parents | class] |
-short [-filter filtername] [-all | -all_and_parents | class] |
-pretty input_filename [output_filename] |
-filter filtername [-all | class] |
-descendants [-filter filtername] class |
-ancestors [-filter filtername] class |
-aversions [-filter filtername] class feature |
-dversions [-filter filtername] class feature |
-implementers [-filter filtername] class feature |
-callers [-filter filtername] [-show_all] [-assigners | -creators] class feature |
-callees [-filter filtername] [-show_all] [-assignees | -creators] class feature |
[[-config config.ecf] [-target target] |
-ace Ace (obsolete) | -project Project_file_name (obsolete)] |
[class_file.e [-library library_name]] |
-stop | -no_library |
-project_path Project_directory_path | -file File |
-code-analysis [-cadefaults | -caloadprefs pref_file | -caclasses class ...] |
-gc_stats]
Options:
default (no option): quick melt the system.
-ace: specify the Ace file (obsolete).
-ancestors: show the ancestors of a class.
-aversions: show the ancestor versions of a feature.
-batch: launch the compilation without user request.
-c_compile: launch C compilation if needed.
-callees: show the callees of a feature.
-callers: show the callers of a feature.
-class_file.e: specify a class file for single file compilation.
-clean: delete existing project if any and perform a fresh compilation.
-clients: show the clients of a class.
-compat: enable pre-attached type compatibility.
-config: specify the configuration (ECF) file.
-debug: debug the system as a command loop.
-descendants: show the descendants of a class.
-dversions: show the descendant versions of a feature.
-experiment: enable experimental functionalities.
-file: save the output to a file.
-filter: show a filtered form (troff, ...) of the class text.
-finalize: finalize the system (discard assertions by default).
-flat: show the flat form of a class.
-flatshort: show the flat-short form of a class.
-freeze: freeze the system.
-full: with full class checking regardless of ECF settings.
-gc_stats: Show GC statistics.
-gui: start the graphical environment.
-help: show this help message.
-implementers: show the classes implementing a feature.
-library: specify a library for single file compilation.
-loop: run ec as a command loop.
-melt: melt the system.
-no_library: do not convert clusters into libraries.
-overwrite_old_project: overwrite any existing old project.
-precompile: precompile the system.
-pretty: show the pretty form of a class.
-project: specify the project file to load (obsolete).
-project_path: specify the compilation directory.
-quick_melt: quick melt the system.
-short: show the short form of a class.
-stop: stop on error.
-suppliers: show the suppliers of a class.
-target: specify the target.
-use_settings: use settings for project location.
-version: show compiler version number.
==Commands for compiling==
The simplest compiling command you can enter is:
ec
The command does not include any of the ''Compiling options'' shown below, so the default option "-melt" is used. The "-config" is omitted, so '''ec''' will try to find a configuration file named Ace.ecf in the current directory.
The command:
ec -config my_config_file.ecf
melts the system having the configuration file in the current directory my_config_file.ecf .
To freeze or finalize that system, you would just include the appropriate ''Compiling option'':
ec -freeze -config my_config_file.ecf
You can specify the name of a file which contains the root class of a system in the current directory:
ec application.e
This command will compile a system with the class in application.e as its root. If there is no configuration file named application.ecf in the current directory, then '''ec''' will create one. It will also use any classes in the current working directory and by default the library EiffelBase.
{{tip|This "configuration-less" form of compilation is convenient to use for a quick compile. But you should understand that because it does create a configuration file with default names for the configuration file itself, the project, and the root cluster, using it against a root class file in a folder in which a configuration file with another name already exists could lead to confusion. }}
You can add additional libraries to the configuration by using the "-library" option and specifying either the short name of one of the EiffelStudio libraries or a path to a library configuration file. To include EiffelTime in the compilation of application.e, you could use this command:
ec application.e -library time
This immediately adds the EiffelTime library to the configuration file application.ecf, so if you compile again, it is not necessary to respecify the library.
==Commands for viewing==
By selecting certain options on the '''ec''' command, you can generate advanced views of your software much like those provided by EiffelStudio. In the table below you will see the set of ''Viewing options''. These options take arguments that are either a class name or a class name and feature name. The following examples will give you an idea of how to use the ''Viewing options''.
To see the "flat" form of class APPLICATION in the example used above:
ec -flat application -config application.ecf
To save the output, add the "-file" option with a file name:
ec -flat application -config application.ecf -file application_flat_form.txt
Feature-oriented options, like "-implementers", take a class name and feature name:
ec -implementers application some_feature -config application.ecf
===Commands for generating documentation===
You can use variations of the viewing commands to generate documentation for your Eiffel system much like [[Producing and Exporting Documentation|you can from EiffelStudio]].
The following command will produce the ''Chart'', ''Relations'', and ''Text'' documentation for the "application" system in html-stylesheet format in the "Documentation" subfolder of the project folder.
ec -filter html-stylesheet -all -config application.ecf
To produce documentation for a view other than ''Text'', use its option in the command. The following generates ''Chart'', ''Relations'', and ''Flat Short'' documentation:
ec -flatshort -filter html-stylesheet -all -config application.ecf
==Commands for Eiffel Inspector==
To start the Eiffel Inspector you need to pass the '''-code-analysis''' command line options. If no other options are given, it will analyze the whole system. To specify some preferences, enable specific rules or analyze part of a system, you will need to provide some more options described below:
ec -config project.ecf -code-analysis [-cadefaults | -caloadprefs pref_file | -caclasses "CLASS1 CLASS2" |
-caforcerules "RULE1 (First preference=1, Second preference=2) RULE2"]
; -cadefaults : If provided, all preferences regarding the analysis will be reset to their default values (before the analysis is run). For example this leads to enabling all rules that are enabled by default, no matter whether they have been disabled before.
; -caloadprefs : Use preferences from ''pref_file'', an XML file containing the code analysis preferences. ''pref_file'' can be generated by exporting the current preferences in the GUI.
; -caclass : Followed by a list of class names (without file extension ''.e'') of the classes that shall be analyzed. If omitted then the whole system will be analyzed. If more than one class is to be specified, the list must be wrapped in double quotes. The class names can optionally be separated by semicolons ("CLASS1; CLASS2").
; -caforcerules: Followed by a list of rules, enables those rules for the analysis and disables all the others, overriding the current preferences. Specific rule preferences can also be provided in parentheses. Preferences must be separated by commas. The class names can optionally be separated by semicolons. The following example summarizes the syntax of this option:
-caforcerules "RULE1; RULE2 (Maximum length threshold=20, Enable something=False); RULE3"
==Command options==
The table below lists the available ''options'', the arguments they require, and their effect:
{| border="1"
|-
| width="175pt" | '''OPTION'''
| '''ARGUMENTS'''
| '''EFFECT'''
|-
| ''Compiling options''
|-
| -melt
|
| [[Melting Ice Technology#Melting|Melt]] compilation. This is the default option, if no other compiling or viewing option is specified.
|-
| -freeze
|
| [[Melting Ice Technology#Freezing|Freeze]] system.
|-
| -finalize
|
| [[Melting Ice Technology#Finalizing|Finalize]] system. See note below.
|-
| -precompile
|
| [[Melting Ice Technology#Precompiling|Precompile]] system, treating it as a library.
|-
| -full
|
| Full class checking. Rechecks features of the parent classes for validity in heirs. See example in [[Converting existing software to void-safety#Enable full class checking|Converting existing software to void-safety]]. NOTE: Full class checking increases compile times, which may be noticeable in large systems.
|-
| -compat
|
| Compile using facilities that are [[Eiffel compatibility options#EiffelStudio and Eiffel compiler options|compatible with older versions]] of Eiffel.
|-
| -experiment
|
| Compile using facilities that are [[Eiffel compatibility options#EiffelStudio and Eiffel compiler options|compatible with an upcoming version]] of Eiffel.
|-
| ''Viewing options''
|-
| -ancestors
| class_name
| Print the ancestors of the class.
|-
| -aversions
| class_name, feature_name
| Print the ancestor versions of the feature.
|-
| -callers
| class_name, feature_name
| Print all the routines that call the feature.
|-
| -clients
| class_name
| Print the clients of the class
|-
| -descendants
| class_name
| Print the descendants of the class.
|-
| -dversions
| class_name, feature_name
| Print all the versions of the feature in the descendant versions of the class.
|-
| -flat
| class_name
| Print the flat view of the class.
|-
| -flatshort
| class_name
| Print the Flat Contract view (previously called flat-short form) of the class.
|-
| -implementers
| class_name, feature_name
| Print all the classes that declare or redeclare the feature.
|-
| -short
| class_name
| Print the Contract view (previously called short form) of the class.
|-
| -suppliers
| class_name
| Print all the suppliers of the class.
|-
| ''Other options''
|-
| -batch
|
| Launch the compilation without user request.
|-
| -clean
|
| Delete project if already compiled and compile project as if it was the first time.
|-
| -config
| file_name
| Use the file as configuration.
|-
| -c_compile
|
| Launch C compilation, if needed, after Eiffel compilation.
|-
| -file
| file_name
| Save the output to the file.
|-
| -filter
| filter_file_name
| Print text as processed by the [[Appendix: Writing Documentation Filters with EFF, the Eiffel Filter Format|filter]] defined in the file named "''filter_file_name''.fil"
|-
| -help
|
| Print the help.
|-
| -keep
|
| Keep assertions in final mode. Useful with -finalize only.
|-
| -library
| library_name
| Library is included in the configuration when a file name for the root class is given.
|-
| -loop
|
| Enter interactive mode. See: [[Command line interactive mode]].
|-
| -metadata_cache_path
| directory_name
| Specify location of Metadata Cache used for .NET compilation. This overrides any settings from your configuration file.
|-
| -no_library
|
| When converting an old configuration file format, do not convert clusters into libraries.
|-
| -project_path
| directory_name
| Use this directory as compilation directory. (Default: current directory.)
|-
| -stop
|
| Stop on errors. (Default: no.)
|-
| -target
| target_name
| Act on the system target named ''target_name''.
|-
| -use_settings
|
| Use the project global settings to retrieve the project location for the last compilation of this project.
|-
| -verbose
|
| Display detail progress report during compile.
|-
| -version
|
| Print compiler version number.
|}
{{note|In the third column, to '''print''' means to produce the requested information on the default output of the '''ec''' command.}}
{{note|When using '''-finalize''', assertions will be discarded (unlike in EiffelStudio which asks first). The assertion disposition specified in the project configuration file can be retained in finalization by combining the '''-keep''' option with '''-finalize'''.}}
Some options can have modifiers that can affect their results. The modifiers are listed in the table below:
{| border="1"
|-
| '''Option'''
| '''Modifier'''
| '''Effect'''
|-
| -callers
! colspan="2" |
|-
|
| -show_all
| Include all callers rather than only those in the specified class.
|-
|
| -assigners
| Restrict callers to those that use given feature only as a target of an assignment instruction.
|-
|
| -creators
| Restrict callers to those that use given feature only as a target of a creation instruction.
|}
{{seealso|
[[Batch compilation|Batch compilation]] }}