Library organization

[GianLuigi Piacentini]

Hi all,

for several reasons, I would like to restructure my Fortran libraries
(.a files under Linux).
I plan to keep downloaded libraries (LAPACK, Math77, SLATEC, NSWC) each
in its own .a file, but I tend (so far) to have only one .a file for my
work (mainly easy-to-use Fortran>90 wrappers to some procedure from the
above libs, plus some work of mine - simple math, some geometry, some
string processing).
In your experience, do you think is a sensible choice, or better to have
a .a file dedicated to each subject (like mymath.a, mygeometry.a and so
on) ?

Thanks in advance

Gigi

[Stefano Zaghi]

Dear Gigi,

maybe I am OT, but I prefer to try to adhere the KISS principle, thus I like to have many (tiny) ".a" rather a big ("monster") one. Aside the size issue, I think that separate libraries (also compiled objects) allow a more clear and maintainable workflow (for both the libraries themselves and the project using those libraries), anyhow I am not aware of "actual issues" when many libraries are "ranlib"ed together with respect separating them.

Surely, I am a bad sysadmin, thus I ignore many aspects: for example, if you want to distribute your libraries a compiled objects, which are the "best practice" for the "very-not-portable" .mod files?

My best regards.

[GianLuigi Piacentini]

Funny, two italians that write each other in english ...
Anyway, I never redestributed a library, so I do not have suggestions
about. For my own (hobbyst) use, I tend to have a directory somewhere,
called with the name and version of the compiler used to compile the
library. Inside there are 2 subdirs:
bin
for .a files and their makefiles
mod
where mod files from these libraries land

But programs using them never exit my computer...
Hoping this helps...

Gigi

P.S.
The more I mumble about, the more I like your approach of small
dedicated libraries - that was my previous approach at the problem. This
need several lib explicitly linked, but no problem, I always use
makefiles, albeit very simple ones.

Thanks Stefano, go ahead with your FOSS work!

[Stefano Zaghi]

Dear Gigi,

Il giorno martedì 11 ottobre 2016 20:21:37 UTC+2, GianLuigi Piacentini ha scritto:
> Funny, two italians that write each other in english ...

:-) Yes, very funny. Indeed, I exploit this group for 2 aims: improve my Fortran skills and improve my terrible English :-)

> Anyway, I never redestributed a library, so I do not have suggestions
> about. For my own (hobbyst) use, I tend to have a directory somewhere,
> called with the name and version of the compiler used to compile the
> library. Inside there are 2 subdirs:
> bin
> for .a files and their makefiles
> mod
> where mod files from these libraries land
>
> But programs using them never exit my computer...
> Hoping this helps...

Thank you for the explanation. I think this a common practice, at least I have already read similar approaches.

> P.S.
> The more I mumble about, the more I like your approach of small
> dedicated libraries - that was my previous approach at the problem. This
> need several lib explicitly linked, but no problem, I always use
> makefiles, albeit very simple ones.
>
> Thanks Stefano, go ahead with your FOSS work!

I changed my workflow some years ago for "all another kind of reasons"... anyhow, KISS philosophy is now very well fitted with my needs.

Thank you too Gigi, see you soon!