On this page:
1.1 Bytecode Files
1.2 Dependency Files
1.3 API for Making Bytecode
make-compilation-manager-load/ use-compiled-handler
managed-compile-zo
trust-existing-zos
make-caching-managed-compile-zo
manager-compile-notify-handler
manager-trace-handler
manager-skip-file-handler
file-stamp-in-collection
file-stamp-in-paths
get-file-sha1
get-compiled-file-sha1
1.4 Compilation Manager Hook for Syntax Transformers
register-external-file
1.5 Compiling to Raw Bytecode

1 raco make: Compiling Source to Bytecode

The raco make command accept filenames for Racket modules to be compiled to bytecode format. Modules are re-compiled only if the source Racket file is newer than the bytecode file and has a different SHA-1 hash, or if any imported module is recompiled or has a different SHA-1 hash for its compiled form plus dependencies.

1.1 Bytecode Files

A file "‹name›.‹ext›" is compiled to bytecode that is saved as "compiled/‹name›_‹ext›.zo" relative to the file. As a result, the bytecode file is normally used automatically when "‹name›.‹ext›" is required as a module, since the underlying load/use-compiled operation detects such a bytecode file.

For example, in a directory that contains the following files:

then

  raco make a.rkt

triggers the creation of "compiled/a_rkt.zo", "compiled/b_rkt.zo", and "compiled/c_rkt.zo". A subsequent

  racket a.rkt

loads bytecode from the generated ".zo" files, paying attention to the ".rkt" sources only to confirm that each ".zo" file has a later timestamp.

In contrast,

  racket b.rkt c.rkt

would create only "compiled/b_rkt.zo" and "compiled/c_rkt.zo", since neither "b.rkt" nor "c.rkt" imports "a.rkt".

1.2 Dependency Files

In addition to a bytecode file, raco make creates a file "compiled/‹name›_‹ext›.dep" that records dependencies of the compiled module on other module files and the source file’s SHA-1 hash. Using this dependency information, a re-compilation request via raco make can consult both the source file’s timestamp/hash and the timestamps/hashes for the bytecode of imported modules. Furthermore, imported modules are themselves compiled as necessary, including updating the bytecode and dependency files for the imported modules, transitively.

Continuing the raco make a.rkt example from the previous section, the raco make command creates "compiled/a_rkt.dep", "compiled/b_rkt.dep", and "compiled/c_rkt.dep" at the same time as the ".zo" files. The "compiled/a_rkt.dep" file records the dependency of "a.rkt" on "b.rkt", "c.rkt" and the racket library. If the "b.rkt" file is modified (so that its timestamp and SHA-1 hash changes), then running

  raco make a.rkt

again rebuilds "compiled/a_rkt.zo" and "compiled/b_rkt.zo".

For module files that are within library collections, raco setup uses the same ".zo" and ".dep" conventions and files as raco make, so the two tools can be used together.

1.3 API for Making Bytecode

The compiler/cm module implements the compilation and dependency management used by raco make and raco setup.

Returns a procedure suitable as a value for the current-load/use-compiled parameter. The returned procedure passes it arguments on to the current-load/use-compiled procedure that is installed when make-compilation-manager-load/use-compiled-handler is called, but first it automatically compiles a source file to a ".zo" file if

If SHA-1 hashes override a timestamp-based decision to recompile the file, then the target ".zo" file’s timestamp is updated to the current time.

After the handler procedure compiles a ".zo" file, it creates a corresponding ".dep" file that lists the current version and the identification of every file that is directly required by the module in the compiled file. Additional dependencies can be installed during compilation via compiler/cm-accomplice. The ".dep" file also records the SHA-1 hash of the module’s source, and it records a combined SHA-1 hash of all of the dependencies that includes their recursive dependencies.

The handler caches timestamps when it checks ".dep" files, and the cache is maintained across calls to the same handler. The cache is not consulted to compare the immediate source file to its ".zo" file, which means that the caching behavior is consistent with the caching of the default module name resolver (see current-module-name-resolver).

If use-compiled-file-paths contains an empty list when make-compilation-manager-load/use-compiled-handler is called, then exn:fail:contract exception is raised.

Do not install the result of make-compilation-manager-load/use-compiled-handler when the current namespace contains already-loaded versions of modules that may need to be recompiled – unless the already-loaded modules are never referenced by not-yet-loaded modules. References to already-loaded modules may produce compiled files with inconsistent timestamps and/or ".dep" files with incorrect information.

(managed-compile-zo file [read-src-syntax])  void?
  file : path-string?
  read-src-syntax : (any/c input-port? . -> . syntax?)
   = read-syntax
Compiles the given module source file to a ".zo", installing a compilation-manager handler while the file is compiled (so that required modules are also compiled), and creating a ".dep" file to record the timestamps of immediate files used to compile the source (i.e., files required in the source).

If file is compiled from source, then read-src-syntax is used in the same way as read-syntax to read the source module. The normal read-syntax is used for any required files, however.

(trust-existing-zos)  boolean?
(trust-existing-zos trust?)  void?
  trust? : any/c
A parameter that is intended for use by setup-plt when installing with pre-built ".zo" files. It causes a compilation-manager load/use-compiled handler to “touch” out-of-date ".zo" files instead of re-compiling from source.

(make-caching-managed-compile-zo read-src-syntax)
  (path-string? . -> . void?)
  read-src-syntax : (any/c input-port? . -> . syntax?)
Returns a procedure that behaves like managed-compile-zo (providing the same read-src-syntax each time), but a cache of timestamp information is preserved across calls to the procedure.

(manager-compile-notify-handler)  (path? . -> . any)
(manager-compile-notify-handler notify)  void?
  notify : (path? . -> . any)
A parameter for a procedure of one argument that is called whenever a compilation starts. The argument to the procedure is the file’s path.

(manager-trace-handler)  (string? . -> . any)
(manager-trace-handler notify)  void?
  notify : (string? . -> . any)
A parameter for a procedure of one argument that is called to report compilation-manager actions, such as checking a file. The argument to the procedure is a string.

(manager-skip-file-handler)
  (-> path? (or/c (cons/c number? promise?) #f))
(manager-skip-file-handler proc)  void?
  proc : (-> path? (or/c (cons/c number? promise?) #f))
A parameter whose value is called for each file that is loaded and needs recompilation. If the procedure returns a pair, then the file is skipped (i.e., not compiled); the number in the pair is used as the timestamp for the file’s bytecode, and the promise may be forced to obtain a string that is used as hash of the compiled file plus its dependencies. If the procedure returns #f, then the file is compiled as usual. The default is (lambda (x) #f).

(file-stamp-in-collection p)
  (or/c (cons/c number? promise?) #f)
  p : path?

(file-stamp-in-paths p paths)
  (or/c (cons/c number? promise?) #f)
  p : path?
  paths : (listof path?)
Returns the file-modification date and delayed hash of por its bytecode form (i.e., ".zo" file), whichever exists and is newer, if p is an extension of any path in paths (i.e., exists in the directory, a subdirectory, etc.). Otherwise, the result is #f.

This function is intended for use with manager-skip-file-handler.

(get-file-sha1 p)  (or/c string? #f)
  p : path?
Computes a SHA-1 hash for the file p; the result is #f if p cannot be opened.

(get-compiled-file-sha1 p)  (or/c string? #f)
  p : path?
Computes a SHA-1 hash for the bytecode file p, appending any dependency-describing hash available from a ".dep" file when available (i.e., the suffix on p is replaced by ".dep" to locate dependency information). The result is #f if p cannot be opened.

1.4 Compilation Manager Hook for Syntax Transformers

 (require compiler/cm-accomplice)

(register-external-file file)  void?
  file : (and path? complete-path?)
Logs a message (see log-message) at level 'info. The message data is a file-dependency prefab structure type with one field whose value is file.

A compilation manager implemented by compiler/cm looks for such messages to register an external dependency. The compilation manager records (in a ".dep" file) the path as contributing to the implementation of the module currently being compiled. Afterward, if the registered file is modified, the compilation manager will know to recompile the module.

The include macro, for example, calls this procedure with the path of an included file as it expands an include form.

1.5 Compiling to Raw Bytecode

The --zo/-z mode for raco make is an improverished form of the compilation, because it does not track import dependencies. It does, however, support compilation of non-module source.

By default, the generated bytecode is placed in the same directory as the source file – which is not where it will be found automatically when loading the source. Use the --auto-dir flag to redirect the output to a "compiled" subdirectory, where it will be found automatically when loading the source file.

Outside of a module, top-level define-syntaxes, module, #%require, define-values-for-syntax, and and begin expressions are handled specially by raco make --zo: the compile-time portion of the expression is evaluated, because it might affect later expressions. (The -m or --module flag turns off this special handling.)

For example, when compiling the file containing

  (require racket/class)
  (define f (class% object% (super-new)))

the class form from the racket/class library must be bound in the compilation namespace at compile time. Thus, the require expression is both compiled (to appear in the output code) and evaluated (for further computation).

Many definition forms expand to define-syntaxes. For example, define-signature expands to define-syntaxes. In --zo mode, raco make --zo detects define-syntaxes and other expressions after expansion, so top-level define-signature expressions affect the compilation of later expressions, as a programmer would expect.

In contrast, a load or eval expression in a source file is compiled – but not evaluated! – as the source file is compiled. Even if the load expression loads syntax or signature definitions, these will not be loaded as the file is compiled. The same is true of application expressions that affect the reader, such as (read-case-sensitive #t). The -p or --prefix flag for raco make takes a file and loads it before compiling the source files specified on the command line.

In general, a better solution is to put all code to compile into a module and use raco make in its default mode.