3.3.2 Frequently Used Options

Following are detailed descriptions of options that you will probably use frequently:

--c_src_interlist Invokes the interlist feature, which interweaves original C/C++ source with compiler-generated assembly language. The interlisted C statements may appear to be out of sequence. You can use the interlist feature with the optimizer by combining the --optimizer_interlist and --c_src_interlist options. See Section 4.16. The --c_src_interlist option can have a negative performance and/or code size impact.
--cmd_file=filename Appends the contents of a file to the option set. You can use this option to avoid limitations on command line length or C style comments imposed by the host operating system. Use a # or ; at the beginning of a line in the command file to include comments. You can also include comments by delimiting them with /* and */. To specify options, surround hyphens with quotation marks. For example, "--"quiet.

You can use the --cmd_file option multiple times to specify multiple files. For instance, the following indicates that file3 should be compiled as source and file1 and file2 are --cmd_file files:

cl6x --cmd_file=file1 --cmd_file=file2 file3
--compile_only Suppresses the linker and overrides the --run_linker option, which specifies linking. The --compile_only option's short form is -c. Use this option when you have --run_linker specified in the C6X_C_OPTION environment variable and you do not want to link. See Section 6.1.3.
--define=name[=def] Predefines the constant name for the preprocessor. This is equivalent to inserting #define name def at the top of each C source file. If the optional[=def] is omitted, the name is set to 1. The --define option's short form is -D.

If you want to define a quoted string and keep the quotation marks, do one of the following:

  • For Windows, use --define=name="\"string def\"". For example, --define=car="\"sedan\""
  • For UNIX, use --define=name='"string def"'. For example, --define=car='"sedan"'
  • For Code Composer Studio, enter the definition in a file and include that file with the --cmd_file option.
--help Displays the syntax for invoking the compiler and lists available options. If the --help option is followed by another option or phrase, detailed information about the option or phrase is displayed. For example, to see information about debugging options use --help debug.
--include_path=directory Adds directory to the list of directories that the compiler searches for #include files. The --include_path option's short form is -I. You can use this option several times to define several directories; be sure to separate the --include_path options with spaces. If you do not specify a directory name, the preprocessor ignores the --include_path option. See Section 3.5.2.1.
--keep_asm Retains the assembly language output from the compiler or assembly optimizer. Normally, the compiler deletes the output assembly language file after assembly is complete. The --keep_asm option's short form is -k.
--quiet Suppresses banners and progress information from all the tools. Only source filenames and error messages are output. The --quiet option's short form is -q.
--run_linker Runs the linker on the specified object files. The --run_linker option and its parameters follow all other options on the command line. All arguments that follow --run_linker are passed to the linker. The --run_linker option's short form is -z. See Section 6.1.
--skip_assembler Compiles only. The specified source files are compiled but not assembled or linked. The --skip_assembler option's short form is -n. This option overrides --run_linker. The output is assembly language output from the compiler.
--src_interlist Invokes the interlist feature, which interweaves optimizer comments or C/C++ source with assembly source. If the optimizer is invoked (--opt_level=n option), optimizer comments are interlisted with the assembly language output of the compiler, which may rearrange code significantly. If the optimizer is not invoked, C/C++ source statements are interlisted with the assembly language output of the compiler, which allows you to inspect the code generated for each C/C++ statement. The --src_interlist option implies the --keep_asm option. The --src_interlist option's short form is -s.
--tool_version Prints the version number for each tool in the compiler. No compiling occurs.
--undefine=name Undefines the predefined constant name. This option overrides any --define options for the specified constant. The --undefine option's short form is -U.
--verbose Displays progress information and toolset version while compiling. Resets the --quiet option.