nhc98 compile-time options

nhc98 is a driver script which calls (if necessary) in turn, the C preprocessor, the GreenCard preprocessor, the compiler proper, the C compiler, the assembler, and finally the linker. You can control these stages using environment variables and flags.

File arguments.

.hs	Haskell source file
.lhs	literate Haskell source file
.gc	Haskell source file to be preprocessed with GreenCard
.c	nhc98 bytecode file
.s	assembler file
.o	object file

Environment variables.

No environment variables are required. However, if you wish, you can use some or all of the following variables to configure parts of the driver script at compile-time.

NHC98LIBDIR	The full path (excluding final machine-specific part) to the nhc98 executables and libs
NHC98INCDIR	The full path to the nhc98 interface and include files.
NHC98COMP	The name/path of the nhc98 compiler proper
GREENCARD	The name/path of the GreenCard preprocessor
GREENCARDOPTS	Additional options to the GreenCard preprocessor
TMP	A temporary directory for intermediate files (default: /tmp)

Flags.

--version	display version information and quit
-98	ensure Haskell 98 compatibility
-v	verbose - echo commands before executing them
-cpp	run the C preprocessor over the source file first
-p	compile for heap profiling
-t	compile for time profiling
-T	compile for tracing
-c	compile only - do not link to a final executable
-S	stop after generating assembler file (.s)
-C	stop after generating bytecode file (.c)
-o file	name the final object or executable file
-d objdir	place intermediate object files in objdir
-Hsize	set the default heap for the final executable to size
-llib	link against the library named lib
-Ldir	search dir when linking against libs
-package pkg	use hierarchical modules from the package named pkg, e.g. base, HaXml, etc.
-Idir	search directory dir for imported modules during compilation, and for #include'd C header files during compilation of the C-section of a GreenCard file
-idir	as for -I option, except also search dir and dir/$MACHINE for a library archive called lib$CFG.a at link stage, where $CFG is taken from the -p, -t, and -T flags, respectively indicating heap profiling, time profiling or tracing
-Pdir	search directory dir for prelude and stdlib modules during compilation
-Dsym	define sym when pre-processing, and when compiling the C-section of a GreenCard file
-Usym	undefine sym when pre-processing, and when compiling the C-section of a GreenCard file
+RTS	the following options (up to -RTS) should be passed only to the compiler's runtime system (for instance to set the compilation heap size)
+CTS	the following options (up to -CTS) should be passed only to the compiler proper (as detailed below)
+rts	runtime system options specified between +RTS ... -RTS delimiters should be passed on to the compiler proper using the nhc98/ghc syntax (i.e. when nhc98comp was compiled by nhc98 or ghc). You are unlikely to need this option, because a default setting of +rts or -rts is determined at config time
-rts	runtime system options specified between +RTS ... -RTS delimiters should be passed on to the compiler proper using the hbc syntax (i.e. when nhc98comp was compiled by hbc). You are unlikely to need this option, because a default setting of +rts or -rts is determined at config time

The following flags can be passed to the nhc98 compiler proper. Occasionally a compiler option-name may conflict with (for instance) a linker option-name. To be sure that compiler options are parsed correctly, it is best to enclose them between +CTS and -CTS.

Options to change the usual compilation behaviour.

In general, the default value of an option is "off" (except where noted), and using the flag turns the option on. Where the default value is "on", an option can be turned off by prefixing the flag with no: for instance -zap is usually on by default, but -nozap will turn it off.

-redefine	Don't complain if redefining an imported identifier
-part	Compiling part of a lib, so don't complain if module name differs from file name and don't create profiling information for this module
-lib	Compiling a lib, don't complain if importing modules with names that differ from their filenames
-unix	Use unix filenames (default=on) (off=RiscOS filenames)
-unlit	Unliterate the source code
-nkpat	Allow (n+k) patterns (default=off except in -98 compatibility mode)
-underscore	Treat underscores strictly as lowercase (default=off except in -98 compatibility mode)
-puns	Allow named field punning (default=on except in -98 compatibility mode)
-ansiC	Generate bytecode file as ANSI C (default=on)
-showtype	Report type of main expression, but do not generate code
-profile	number of occurrences = amount of heap profiling information per node
-tprof	compile for time profiling
-zap	Generate code to zap unused arguments/stack positions (default=on)
-prelude	Keep prelude definitions in interface file
-keepcase	Don't lift case, we fix those later
-dbgtrans	perform tracing translation (for runtime tracer)
-dbgprelude	use the tracing prelude
-trusted	make this a "trusted" module (tracer)

Options to examine the internal progress of the compiler, stage by stage.

-showwidth=w	set width in characters of output of an intermediate syntax tree to w (default=80)
-showindent=i	set indentation in characters for nesting of output of an intermediate syntax tree to i (default=2)
-showqualified	use qualified names in output of intermediate syntax tree (default=on)
-lex	show lexical input
-parse	show syntax tree after parser
-need	show need table before import
-import	print names of explicitly imported files
-ilex	show lexical input for interface files
-iineed	show need table between all import files
-iibound	show symbol table between all import files
-iirename	show rename table between all import files
-ineed	show need table after import
-ibound	show symbol table after import
-irename	show rename table after import
-rename	show syntax tree after rename
-rbound	show symbol table after rename
-depend	print imported identifiers that are used (not even alpha-tested yet)
-derive	show syntax tree after derive
-dbound	show symbol table after derive
-ebound	show symbol table after extract
-remove	show syntax tree after fields are removed (translated into selectors)
-scc	show syntax tree after splitting into strongly connected groups
-type	show syntax tree after type check
-tbound	show symbol table after type check
-report-imports	display imports actually used
-fixsyntax	show syntax tree after removing newtype constructors and fixing Class.Type.method
-fsbound	show symbol table after adding Class.Type.method info
-case	show stg tree after simplification of patterns
-cbound	show symbol table after simplification of pattern
-prim	show stg tree after inserting primitive functions
-pbound	show symbol table after inserting primitive functions
-free	show stg tree with explicit free variables
-arity	show stg tree after arity grouping
-lift	show syntax tree after lambda lifting
-lbound	show symbol table after lambda lifting
-atom	show stg tree after only atoms in applications
-abound	show symbol table after only atoms in applications
-gcode	show G code
-gcodefix	show G code after large constant fixed
-gcodeopt1	show G code optimisation
-gcodemem	show G code NEEDHEAP
-gcodeopt2	show G code optimisation
-gcoderel	show G code after offsets
-funnames	insert position and name of functions in the code

The latest updates to these pages are available on the WWW from http://www.haskell.org/nhc98/

4 July 2004
York Functional Programming Group