13.9 Project Attributes

The following attributes apply to a project. All of them are simple attributes.

Object_Dir

Expression must be a path name. The attribute defines the directory in which the object files created by the build are to be placed. If not specified, object files are placed in the project directory.

Exec_Dir

Expression must be a path name. The attribute defines the directory in which the executables created by the build are to be placed. If not specified, executables are placed in the object directory.

Source_Dirs

Expression must be a list of path names. The attribute defines the directories in which the source files for the project are to be found. If not specified, source files are found in the project directory.

Source_Files

Expression must be a list of file names. The attribute defines the individual files, in the project directory, which are to be used as sources for the project. File names are path_names that contain no directory information. If the project has no sources the attribute must be declared explicitly with an empty list.

Source_List_File

Expression must a single path name. The attribute defines a text file that contains a list of source file names to be used as sources for the project

Library_Dir

Expression must be a path name. The attribute defines the directory in which a library is to be built. The directory must exist, must be distinct from the project's object directory, and must be writable.

Library_Name

Expression must be a string that is a legal file name, without extension. The attribute defines a string that is used to generate the name of the library to be built by the project.

Library_Kind

Argument must be a string value that must be one of the following "static", "dynamic" or "relocatable". This string is case-insensitive. If this attribute is not specified, the library is a static library. Otherwise, the library may be dynamic or relocatable. This distinction is operating-system dependent.

Library_Version

Expression must be a string value whose interpretation is platform dependent. On UNIX, it is used only for dynamic/relocatable libraries as the internal name of the library (the "soname"). If the library file name (built from the Library_Name) is different from the Library_Version, then the library file will be a symbolic link to the actual file whose name will be Library_Version.

Library_Interface

Expression must be a string list. Each element of the string list must designate a unit of the project. If this attribute is present in a Library Project File, then the project file is a Stand-alone Library_Project_File.

Library_Auto_Init

Expression must be a single string "true" or "false", case-insensitive. If this attribute is present in a Stand-alone Library Project File, it indicates if initialization is automatic when the dynamic library is loaded.

Library_Options

Expression must be a string list. Indicates additional switches that are to be used when building a shared library.

Library_GCC

Expression must be a single string. Designates an alternative to "gcc" for building shared libraries.

Library_Src_Dir

Expression must be a path name. The attribute defines the directory in which the sources of the interfaces of a Stand-alone Library will be copied. The directory must exist, must be distinct from the project's object directory and source directories, and must be writable.

Main

Expression must be a list of strings that are legal file names. These file names designate existing compilation units in the source directory that are legal main subprograms.

When a project file is elaborated, as part of the execution of a gnatmake command, one or several executables are built and placed in the Exec_Dir. If the gnatmake command does not include explicit file names, the executables that are built correspond to the files specified by this attribute.

Main_Language

This is a simple attribute. Its value is a string that specifies the language of the main program.

Languages

Expression must be a string list. Each string designates a programming language that is known to GNAT. The strings are case-insensitive.

Locally_Removed_Files

This attribute is legal only in a project file that extends another. Expression must be a list of strings that are legal file names. Each file name must designate a source that would normally be inherited by the current project file. It cannot designate an immediate source that is not inherited. Each of the source files in the list are not considered to be sources of the project file: they are not inherited.