Use Compiler Options File (-compileroptionsfile) to enforce one or more rules during compilation.

Operating system and syntax UNIX / Windows -compileroptionsfile filename
Use with Maximum value Minimum value Single-user default Multi-user default
Client Session — — — —
filename
The pathname of a file containing a comma-separated list of options. The pathname can be absolute or relative to PROPATH.

The options specified in the file are rules that are enforced during compilation. The following table describes the available options:

Option Description
require-full-names[:Error |:Warning ] All table and field names must appear as they are in the schema. The compiler’s ability to implicitly resolve abbreviated names in tables is disabled.
require-field-qualifiers[:Error |:Warning ] All buffer references (including database tables, temp-tables, and buffers) must be fully qualified. The compiler's ability to implicitly resolve the buffer to which a field reference refers is disabled.
require-full-keywords[:Error |:Warning ] All ABL language keywords must be fully spelled out.
require-return-values[:Error |:Warning ] In user-defined functions, non-VOID methods, and property getters, all logical code paths must have RETURN value statements. For more information, see Require-return-values compiler option.
Note that the severity level specifies what happens when there is a failure:
  • Error generates a message for each failure, and prevents the generation of r-code.
  • Warning generates a message for each failure, but allows the generation of r-code, provided that the only failures during compilation are related to the option. (Other types of failure can prevent r-code generation.)
  • If no severity level is specified, the default is Warning.

The options file can contain comments. Anything between a hashtag (#) and an end of line is treated as a comment.

# List of compiler options
require-full-names, # Nothing specifed. The default, Warning, is in effect 
require-field-qualifiers:Error,
require-full-keywords:Warning

If the content of the file resolve to the empty string ("") or white space only, then no options are applied. If an option listed is not valid, the session fails to start.

This startup parameter initializes the value of the OPTIONS attribute of the COMPILER handle with the contents of its target file. You can use the OPTIONS or OPTIONS-FILE phrase in the COMPILE statement to override any options set with -compileroptionsfile.

For more information, see Set compiler options or the COMPILE statement.