[ Predicate Database and Compiler | Reference Manual | Alphabetic Index ]

[+File_1, ...., +File_N]

Compile source file or load precompiled file, or list of files
File_i
Atom or string.

Description

The behaviour of this construct is different according to where it is used: As a directive in a source file, e.g. 
	:- [auxiliaries,tools].
it behaves like an include/1 directive, i.e. it instructs the compiler (or any other source-processing tool) to process the given files as if they were part of the file containing the directive.

When called as a query (e.g. at the interactive toplevel) or goal, it will compile source files or load precompiled files. If a precompiled file exists (usually characterized by a .eco file suffix), then this file is loaded, otherwise a source file is expected and compiled using compile/1. See the specification of compile/1 for details.

A particular common use at the toplevel is the special form: 

	?- [user].
which is used for interactively compiling code from the standard input.

Modes and Determinism

Modules

This predicate is sensitive to its module context (tool predicate, see @/2).

Exceptions

(4) instantiation fault
File_n is not instantiated.
(5) type error
File_n is instantiated, but not to an atom or string.
(171) File does not exist :
File_n does not exist.

Examples

Success:
     [hanoi].         % compiles the file hanoi.pl

     [eclipse]: sh('cat file1').
     p:-writeln(hello).
     yes.
     [eclipse]: sh('cat file2').
     q(X) :- write(X).
     yes.
     [eclipse]: [user], p.
      p :- writeln(hi).
      user compiled 92 bytes in 0.00 seconds
     hi
     yes.
     [eclipse]: [file1, file2], p.
     /home/lp/user/file1 compiled 32 bytes in 0.02 seconds
     /home/lp/user/file2 compiled 92 bytes in 0.00 seconds
     hello
     yes.
Error:
     [F].            (Error 4).
     [file1/1].      (Error 5).
     [noexist].      (Error 171).

See Also

compile / 1, compile / 2, fcompile : fcompile / 1