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HP Itanium-based Systems: HP aC++/HP C Programmer's Guide

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A

aggressive optimization 

Optimization that changes the behavior of structured code. This is a superset of basic optimizations.


anachronistic constructs 

Elements of the C++ language that are not supported in future releases.


archive library 

A collection of object files grouped using the ar command. At link time, only object files with symbols are extracted from the library.


argument declaration file 

A file containing the declaration of a class, struct, union, or enum types for templates.


automatic instantiation 

An instantiation mechanism that uses an automatic instantiation algorithm to determine in which object file instantiations are placed. Instantiation is attempted for any use of a template. Use the +inst_auto command line option to request automatic instantiation.


B

base class 

A class from which another class, the derived class, inherits public and protected members. A derived class inherits the nonprivate member data and nonprivate member functions from its base class. Sometimes also called a parent class or superclass.


basename 

The part of a pathname after the last /.


basic block 

A sequence of instructions with a single entry point, single exit point, and no internal branches.


basic optimizations 

Any optimizations that does not generally change the behavior of structured code. Basic optimization is performed by default when you specify a level of optimization. Basic optimizations are a subset of aggressive optimizations and a superset of conservative optimizations.


C

class 

A user-defined type. A class can have member data and member functions and these can be public, protected, or private members.


class template 

A template that defines an unbounded set of related classes.


closing 

The process of satisfying all template instantiations for a set of link units.


closing a library 

Satisfying all template instantiations needed by a library when building the library, not when linking the library with an application.


compile-time instantiation 

In HP aC++, this is the default instantiation mechanism. Instantiation is attempted for every template used in a translation unit in that translation unit.


conservative optimizations 

Any optimization that does not change the behavior of code, in most cases, even if the code is unstructured or does not conform to standards. This is a subset of basic optimizations.


constructor 

An initialization function for the objects of a class. Constructors have the same name as their class.


D

derived class 

A class that inherits the public and protected member data and the public and protected member functions from its base class. It is also called a child class or subclass.


destructor 

A function that cleans up or deinitializes each object of a class immediately before the object is destroyed. Destructors are executed when the program leaves the scope in which objects are defined and when any object is destroyed by delete. Destructors have the same name as their class, prefixed by a tilde, ~.


directed instantiation 

Template instantiation that is specified by the developer through an explicit instantiation or a compiler command-line option.


E

exception 

An exception is a runtime error condition. Exception handling is a C++ mechanism that allows the error detector to pass the error condition to the exception handler. An exception is raised by a throw statement within a try block and handled by a catch clause. The ANSI/ISO C++ International Standard defines only synchronous exceptions.


explicit instantiation 

A method of instantiation that instantiates a template at the point of its use. You can code an explicit template instantiation, as defined in the Final Draft International Standard, in your source file.


external symbol 

A name of a function or data item in an object file that you can link with other object files.


F

friend 

A class or a function that has access to data of a class and member functions. Friend has access to the public, protected, and private members of a class.


function template 

A template that defines an unbounded set of related functions.


H

header file 

A C++ source file typically containing class or function declarations. It is referenced by other C++ source files using the #include preprocessor directive.


HP aC++ 

The latest C++ compiler from HP. It closely complies with most features of the ANSI/ISO C++ International Standard.


HP C++ 

An initial, pre-C++ draft proposed international standard C++ compiler from HP. It is based on the cfront compiler and provides functionality for templates and exception handling.


I

include guards 

Preprocessor commands, such as, #ifndef, #define, and #endif, used in a header file to prevent compiling that file more than once.


inline function 

A function whose code is copied in place of each function call.


instantiate 

To form an instantiation by binding a template to particular argument types.


instantiated class 

A class generated from a class template by instantiation.


instantiated function 

A function generated from a function template by instantiation.


instantiation 

A generated class or function (a definition) that is the result of binding a template to particular argument types. Also known as a generation.


L

lex 

A program generator for lexical analysis of text.


link unit 

A single entity submitted to the linker. A link unit can be an object file (.o file, the output of a translation unit), an archive library (.a file), or a shared library (.so file).


load compile 

Invoking the compiler using the +hdr_use option, and a manual precompiled header file.


M

member data 

Any data element declared to be part of a class.


member function 

Any function declared to be part of a class.


multiple inheritance 

The ability of a class to inherit from more than one base class. The derived class inherits all public and protected members from all of its base classes. Also see single inheritence.


N

name demangling 

The process of changing the internal representation of identifiers back to their original C++ source names. Also see name mangling.


name mangling 

The process of generating unambiguous internal identifiers from C++ identifiers to resolve the scope of variables, overloaded operators, and overloaded functions. Also see name demangling.


O

object  

An instance of a class


P

parameterized type 

See template.


position-independent code (PIC) 

Object code that contains no absolute addresses. All addresses are relative to the program counter. Position-independent code is used to create shared libraries.


pragma 

An instruction to the compiler to compile your program in a certain way. For example, you can use pragmas to insert copyright information into your object files, to specify a particular template instantiation, and to specify optimization levels.


precompiled header file 

A .C file that is compiled using either the +hdr_create option (for subsequent use in a load compile) or the +hdr_cache option.


preprocessing directive 

A command entered into a source file to direct the preprocessor to perform certain actions on the source file. For example, the preprocessor can replace tokens in the text, insert the contents of other files into the source file, or suppress the compilation of part of the file by conditionally removing sections of text. It also expands preprocessor macros and conditionally strips out comments.


preprocessor 

A portion of the HP aC++ compiler that manipulates the contents of your source file according to the preprocessing directives coded in the source file.


private member 

A private member of a class is a data member or member function that is only accessible from within the class defining the member and from any friends of the class defining the private member.


profile-based optimization 

An optimization in which the compiler and linker work together to optimize an application based on profile data obtained from running the application on a typical input data set.


protected member 

A protected member of a class is a data member or member function that is only accessible from within the class defining the member, or from any class derived from that class, or from any friends of the class defining the protected member.


public member 

A public member of a class is a data member or member function that is accessible from everywhere outside the class defining the member as well as from inside the class and from any derived classes.


S

shared library 

A collection of object files grouped using the aCC command. It comprises position-independent code. At link time, all object files are made available.


single inheritance 

The ability of a derived class to inherit from its base class. Also see multiple inheritence.


software pipelining 

A code transformation that optimizes program loops. It is useful for loops that contain arithmetic operations on floats and doubles.


source file 

An HP-UX file that contains C and/or C++ program code.


specialization 

An instantiation of a template class or template function that overrides the standard version.


T

template 

A skeleton or description for an infinite set of classes or functions. A class template is a specification for a family or group of classes. A class template is also known as a parameterized type. A function template is a specification for a family or group of functions.


template argument 

A type or constant specified to a template to distinguish a particular usage of the template.


template function 

An instantiated function template.


timestamp 

The date and time a file was last changed.


translation unit 

The standard term for a compilation unit. It refers to a single source file submitted to the compiler along with all files included by the compilation of that single source file. A translation unit normally results in a single object file. It is also a variable name explicitly declared static has the scope of its translation unit and can be used as a name for other objects, functions, and so on in other translation units in the same application.


trigraph sequences 

A set of three characters that is replaced by a corresponding single character by the preprocessor.


Y

yacc 

A programming tool to describe input to a computer program.


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