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9.12 Summary of Procedures for Elaboration Control ¶

A programmer should first compile the program with the default options, using none of the binder or compiler switches. If the binder succeeds in finding an elaboration order, then apart from possible cases involving dispatching calls and access-to-subprogram types, the program is free of elaboration errors.

If it is important for the program to be portable to compilers other than GNAT, then the programmer should use compiler switch -gnatel and consider the messages about missing or implicitly created Elaborate and Elaborate_All pragmas.

If the binder reports an elaboration circularity, the programmer has several options:

• Ensure that elaboration warnings are enabled. This will allow the static model to output trace information of elaboration issues. The trace information could shed light on previously unforeseen dependencies, as well as their origins. Elaboration warnings are enabled with compiler switch -gnatwl.
• Cosider the tactics given in the suggestions section of the circularity diagnostic.
• If none of the steps outlined above resolve the circularity, use a more permissive elaboration model, in the following order:
  • Use the pre-20.x legacy elaboration-order model, with binder switch -H.
  • Use both pre-18.x and pre-20.x legacy elaboration models, with compiler switch -gnatH and binder switch -H.
  • Use the relaxed static elaboration model, with compiler switches -gnatH -gnatJ and binder switch -H.
  • Use the relaxed dynamic elaboration model, with compiler switches -gnatH -gnatJ -gnatE and binder switch -H.