wpp

[Geoff Thorpe]

On December 8, 2002 06:01 pm, Patrik Stridvall wrote:
> It would be very nice it something made a GNU C compiler
> library to support among other things only running
> the preprocessor.

Um, you mean like "cpp"? The debian packagers have even split it out from 
the gcc package for convenience, the package description explains;

---------
[snip]
The GNU C preprocessor is a macro processor that is used automatically by 
the GNU C compiler to transform programs before actual compilation.

This package has been separated from gcc for the benefit of those who 
require the preprocessor but not the compiler.
[snip]
---------

so clearly it can be done, and this is presumably for the reasons Dimitrie 
mentioned - preprocessing can be a useful (and much faster) subset to 
separate out from the compilation process.

But as for the GPL argument against using the GNU C (pre)compiler from a 
run-time (ie. "forking/exec of 'gcc -E' is like linking to a GPL lib"), I 
find that rather hard to believe - especially as invoking "gcc -E" can be 
framed in very user-supplied terms. Eg. if the user is able to (in 
theory) configure the program to exec() any precompilation programs (and 
command-line options) they want, then who is going to sue *who* when the 
default value for that setting just happens to be "gcc -E" when the 
program installs? Richard Stallman will sue Redhat? Or will the FSF begin 
a crackdown against adolescent nerds who illegally point GPL-incompatible 
configuration files to GPL-licensed precompilers ...? I really don't 
think this should be a cause for concern.

Cheers,
Geoff

-- 
Geoff Thorpe
geoff at geoffthorpe.net
http://www.geoffthorpe.net/