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Manage Physical Dependencies of a Project to reduce Compilation Time

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25 Mar 2004CPOL7 min read 48K   25   5
How to manage Physical Dependencies of a Project to reduce Compilation Time

Introduction

In our daily experience, we are making our project in different files not in a single file. We will do this because we want to reduce the compilation time during the development as well as reuse the code written in different files. For example you want to make some project, which has 10,000 lines of code, now during the development of project or after it if we change any single line, then compiler has to recompile all the 10,000 lines. In today's computes it might not be a big problem, but it will eventually become a nightmare when projects become larger. On the other hand if we split our project into more than one file, such as 10 files each contain 1000 lines, then any change in one file ideally should not effect in other files.

During the development of a project, we usually talk about the design of classes, discussing in terms of design pattern, and describe the relationship among the classes. But most of the times we are not concern about the files, in which those classes are written. In any large-scale project, it is not also worth full to study the physical design of the project, but in some cases, where the project size is very huge, it in inevitable.

Details

It is very common in large-scale project, that it has some general-purpose classes, which are useful in other projects too. So natural solution to use those classes in other projects are to make those classes in separate files. It is common practice of C++ users to make two files for one class, one file contains definitions, and the other has implementation of class and its member functions. Such as a Point class will be something like this

Image 1

But if you didn't program carefully then sometimes it is not possible to just include these two files in other project and use it. One of the most common problem that may arise is to use include some other definition files too in your project which you might not needed. And other files may also need some other files, so at the end you may have to include a bunch of files to just use one single class.

One example of the is that you might want to use Database class, which is created in some library or DLL, then you might also need to include the definition files of some other classes in that library such as RecordSet.H, DBFactory.H and DBException.H etc. Situation is even worse if you have to include the definition files of different Database classes such as OralceInterface.H, SQLInterface.H and SybaseInterface.H etc.

It is better to see carefully which files are included in files. Especially which files are included in Definition file (Header file)? Because if you change anything in any definition file then all the files, weather it is Definition file or Implementation file, needs to recompile. For compilers prospective, a CPP file with all preprocessor expended, it is called translation unit. In other words, translation unit is an Implementation file with all the definition files included. Here is one such example of translation unit.

Image 2

Now if you change anything in any of the definition file, which is included in Camera.CPP, it means you have changed this translation unit and now it has to be recompiled. Situation becomes more serious if these definition files are included in more than one translation units now the change in one definition file needs to recompile all those translation units.

Changes in definition files can be minimized if we use them only for definition not for implementation.

"In other words implementation of a function should not be in header file even if it is only one line function. If performance is concerned, then that function can be declared inline explicitly. Now if there is any change in the implementation of the function only, then compiler will recompile only that translation unit".

However, in other case, the change of implementation of function means recompile all translation units, which have this header file.

If one header file is included in other header file, then change the first header file will change all the files which include either first file or second. Situation becomes even worst when header file included another header file, which includes another header file and so on. Now change in one file may need to compile not limited to one file only, but it may recompile the whole project. This diagram shows this concept clearly.

Image 3

No matter your Camera class does not include Point.H or ViewPort.H directly, but in fact it is included in Camera translation unit. Now change in Point header file will compile not only Camera translation unit, but also all translation units in this example.

Basic rule of thumb to minimize physical dependencies is,

"Try to avoid inclusion of header file within a header file until you don't have any other option".

But how can we make compiler happy when we are not including header file? To see the answer of this question, we first understand in which cases we are force to include header file and in which cases we can avoid it.

You have to include the header file when you need the full detail of the class. In other words you have to include header file when you are access member function or variable of a class, inherit from a class or aggregate its object in another class. We have already decided not to write implementation code in header file; so first case will automatically be eliminated. If you use another object in member functions only, either creating its local object or use it's as a parameter, or contain pointer of another class, then you do not need to include its header file. To make compiler happy too, you can just do forward deceleration of that class in the header file. Now we can restate our basic rule to minimize physical dependencies are

"Use Forward deceleration instead of include header file wherever possible, such as in case when you are not inheriting a class or aggregate it in another class".

For example in this case we have to include Point header file in ViewPort header file.

#include "Point.h"

class ViewPort  
{
public:
    // Other functions

private:
    // other attributes
    Point m_PtLeftTop;
    Point m_PtRightBottom;
};
But there is not need to include ViewPort header file in Transformation header files if it just uses it. Such as

class ViewPort;

class Transformation  
{
public:
    void Scale(int p_x, int p_y, ViewPort& p_viewPort);
    // other functions
};
But you have to include the ViewPort header file in Transformation implementation file, because there is no way to avoid this. But the situation is little bit better and now change in Point.H will not propagate in all translation units. At least it will not have any effect on all the translation units, which include Transformation.H file.

Image 4

You can further reduce the physical dependencies by make pointer of a class rather than making the object of a class. Because in case of pointer compiler does not need full detail in header file and it can be totally eliminated.

Image 5

But in this case you have to create and destroy object yourself, as well as there is an extra overhead of function calling. In addition this physical design might not fit very well to your logical design, because you are not doing inheritance, therefore you cant access protected data of a class, and cannot override virtual functions. This technique is also known as "Pointer to Implementation Principle" or in short "PImpl Principle".

There might be one solution to avoid inclusion header within a header. Include all header files in the cpp file before include its own header file. Take a look at above example, ViewPort.H need Point.H file. Now include this header file in ViewPort.CPP before include ViewPort.H file.

// ViewPort.CPP
#include "Point.h"
#include "ViewPort.h"
Compilers will look this translation unit is something like this

Image 6

And happy compile this unit. But there are two problems in this approach, first you have to include header files in proper order, i.e. have to remember the dependencies of header file and include it in proper order and program will not recompile even if you includes all the required header files in not proper order. The second problem is even more problematic, if you want to use ViewPort.H in any other translation unit then that translation unit will not compile until you include Point.H. From physical point of view you haven't change anything, but also create more problems by introducing dependencies among header files, which are hard to remember. Here is one more rule of thumb for manage physical dependencies

"Never make any files which are dependent on the order of header file inclusion."

License

This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)


Written By
Team Leader American Institute for Research
United States United States
Working as a Team leader in American Institute for Research

Comments and Discussions

 
GeneralDependency visualisers Pin
Matt Godbolt18-Sep-06 22:54
Matt Godbolt18-Sep-06 22:54 
GeneralMIDL Pin
dan o2-Apr-04 3:37
dan o2-Apr-04 3:37 
GeneralGood Start Pin
Rick York27-Mar-04 12:56
mveRick York27-Mar-04 12:56 
GeneralRe: Good Start Pin
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GeneralUseful for 'uncareful' developers Pin
Patje26-Mar-04 7:19
Patje26-Mar-04 7:19 

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