Description

The Protocol Definition Compiler (PDC) is a utility used by the StructBase, the example programs of the GPT, and all of the Sprocs on this site. It takes as input an abstract, high-level description of the messages it can receive and send. From this, it produces libraries for the sending, receiving, and processing of these messages for both itself and its clients.

The PDC consists of a parser module that parses input files and builds an abstract internal representation of the input and of an open set of generation modules that map the internal representation to different library formats. The current release provides one generation extension (H4C) that generates ANSI C that uses the H-4.x.x Toolkit.

Documentation

• PDC Programmer's Guide scheduled for release late June 1997
• PDC Reference Guide scheduled for release late June 1997
  

Software Releases

Current release: PDC-3.1.2 [1997.06.04]

Software requirements:
base component: H-4.1.0+
extensions: none
documentation: HDC-4.0.0+.
Distributions:

PDC-3.1.2 source (59K)
PDC-3.1.2 prebuilt for Sparc/Solaris 2.4 (4614K)


Scheduled next release: none

Change log:

PDC-3.1.2 [1997.06.04] - changed names of standard includes
PDC-3.1.1 [1997.01.08] - added pointer type, support for H args modules
PDC-3.1.0 [1996.08.26] - added variable arrays
PDC-3.0.0 [1996.02.14] - initial release

Installation Instructions

To install the PDC, follow the generic installation directions found on the general HOSS software information page. Note the include file link step must be performed for this component.

Problems

This section contains a list of known bugs, problems, and missing features. If you would like to report a bug, mail hadmin@csdl.tamu.edu.

The problems listed here refer to the current version of the PDC, 3.1.1 [1997.01.08].

• need a way to indicate that include file names should be prepended with a path (pnuern@csdl.tamu.edu)
  
• alias types do not generate en-/de-code macros if type declaration is provided (pnuern@csdl.tamu.edu)
  
• really could use a way to pass "infinite" arrays (with size -1) (pnuern@csdl.tamu.edu)