Using .ji files

[Leonardo]

Hello,
How can I create .ji files and execute with julia executable?

I've compiled in native code a simple program (with BuildExecutable package), but result is huge! (with all dynamic libraries); it's possible instead produce a .ji file (other than modules with Base.compilcache("<modulename>") ) and execute it?

Many thanks

Leonardo

[Tero Frondelius]

http://docs.julialang.org/en/release-0.4/manual/getting-started/

[Tero Frondelius]

Namely:

julia [switches] -- [programfile] [args...]

--output-ji name          Generate a system image data file (.ji)

[Leonardo]

Thanks, but I have still some trouble.

I try to better explain my problems:

1. .ji file creation: I can create a .ji file for a module with precompilation (e.g. with Base.compilecache()); attempting to create .ji file from a julia source using julia executable with command:
   $JULIA_HOME/bin/julia --output-ji out.ji -- src.jl
   it complains with following message:
   ERROR: could not open file boot.jl
   
2. .ji file execution: I don't know how to start a julia program precompiled in .ji
   

Leonardo

[Samuel Gómez]

I'm afraid there is not still a solution. Isn't it?

I find the same problem :-(

[Steven G. Johnson]

On Sunday, December 13, 2015 at 4:07:55 PM UTC-5, Leonardo wrote:

Thanks, but I have still some trouble.

I try to better explain my problems:

1. .ji file creation: I can create a .ji file for a module with precompilation (e.g. with Base.compilecache()); attempting to create .ji file from a julia source using julia executable with command:
   $JULIA_HOME/bin/julia --output-ji out.ji -- src.jl
   it complains with following message:
   ERROR: could not open file boot.jl
   

Here is how compilecache runs julia --output-ji:

https://github.com/JuliaLang/julia/blob/eb172070217bf9ca8daef41092991f5a2e2c49eb/base/loading.jl#L449-L453

1. .ji file execution: I don't know how to start a julia program precompiled in .ji

The undocumented low-level call to load a .ji file is, I believe:

Base._include_from_serialized(open(readbytes, "myfile.ji"))

However, this does not actually execute any code, it just loads the functions and constants and modules defined in that .ji file.   You still need to run some code in a .jl file that actually calls one of these functions.

You have to realize that the .ji file is not really the equivalent of a precompiled executable program.  It is more like a precompiled shared library.