Rational Compilation Integrator

The Rational Compilation Integrator(TM) integrates any Ada compiler with Rational Apex(R) to create a universal development environment. The Compilation Integrator gracefully manages migration to a different compiler by preserving investment in the development environment and maintaining consistency with the target code. The Compilation Integrator is part of Rational's modern, Ada-based, software-engineering solution, which comprises of a set of software processes, products, and services that give you control of your software-development efforts and sharpen your competitive edge.

The Rational Compilation Integrator (RCI) brings the unmatched productivity advantages of Rational Apex to your project no matter what Ada compiler you use to deploy your code. Rational Apex supports a powerful method called host-based testing that makes Rational Apex a true universal development environment. You design, develop, document, integrate, test, analyze, and maintain your software using Rational Apex and its related products.

To generate the code for your target processor--which can be a mainframe, minicomputer, workstation, PC, or embedded processor--you select the Ada compiler of your choice. Referred to as the target compiler, this can be any of hundreds of commercial, off-the-shelf Ada compilers, including any from our extensive VADS compiler and cross-compiler family, or a special-purpose in-house compiler. The target compiler can be a native compiler (generating code for the same platform on which it is hosted) or a cross-compiler (generating code for a different platform).

RCI automatically invokes the target compiler and tools to generate code for your target processor. RCI performs consistency management on the compilation platform and provides a common user interface to target compilers on any platform. You use the target compiler's debugger, if available, to debug your code on the target processor.

Gives you uniform configuration management

RCI extends the benefits of Rational Apex's configuration management and version control (CMVC) and support for architectural enforcement (Rational Subsystems(TM)) to the target-compilation platform. Software developed and controlled using Rational Subsystems with CMVC is easily compiled and managed on the target system. In conjunction with Rational Subsystems, RCI enables you to build software simultaneously for multiple target systems.

RCI continues to add value through a project's maintenance phase. Maintenance releases are managed easily with Rational Apex's CMVC. The Rational Apex facilities for visibility of system architecture, hypertext-style browsing, and implementation traceability help maintenance engineers to understand, plan, and implement appropriate changes, while RCI ensures consistency of target software.

Integrates tightly with the target environment

RCI provides automatic execution of target-compiler operations through a common user interface from Rational Apex. These operations include initializing a target library, compiling Ada source, displaying the contents of the target library in a Rational Apex window, and managing units in the target library.

Target-compiler output is redirected to a Rational Apex window to give you immediate feedback about the target-compilation process. In addition, target-compiler options can be set and controlled from Rational Apex for entire target libraries or individual units. Listing, assembly, and map files and other results generated by the target-compilation process can be maintained with the rest of your project data through the Rational Apex CMVC system.

Automates the compilation process on the target

RCI lets you work with the target compiler early and often as part of your software-development process. When you complete functional testing on a significant software component, you use RCI to generate code using the target compiler. You can automatically recompile a single unit, the unit closure, a Rational Subsystem, or a complete system.

You initiate a recompilation process with the target compiler using a single RCI command. RCI determines the correct compilation order, transfers the Ada source to the target-compilation platform, and invokes the target compiler to build the software system. This process ultimately produces executable images for the target processor.

The Rational Compilation Integrator lets you manage third-party compilation systems
from Rational Apex and provides a consistent user interface and development model.

Maintains consistency of all your project data

RCI maintains historical records of modified units and the state of target software, transferring and compiling only the minimum number of units. As the project moves toward completion, RCI keeps the compiled software consistent. RCI maintains state and history information in Rational Apex for each unit in a target library. You can display this information, check for consistency with the target library, and resolve inconsistencies between Rational Apex data and the target library. If units are changed and recompiled on the target-compilation platform, those changes are easily captured and incorporated back into Rational Apex.

Adapts to your choice of Ada compilers

RCI gives you enormous flexibility. You can change target compilers or simultaneously control multiple target compilers and retain all of the project information that you built using Rational Apex. You have a common user interface and development model no matter which Ada compilers you use, now or in the future. You use a uniform toolset even if the target processor changes over time.

RCI can be used with a wide variety of target compilers with little modification. To take full advantage of the capabilities of the target compiler, the facility can be extended through straightforward procedures such as modifying Ada templates and parameters. This extension can be performed by you or by Rational technical representatives.

Required configuration

RCI runs on top of Rational Apex. Rational Apex and the target compiler(s) must be installed anywhere on the same network, connected by the industry-standard NFS (Network File System).