Building the F# Compiler Nov 2013 from Microsoft Open Technologies

F# 3.1 Compiler matching Visual Studio 2013  RTM binary release

This directory contains a drop of the source code for an F# 3.1 compiler and core library. The code has been cleaned up "a little" to try to help ensure better stability as more development is done on the codebase.

The compiler is normally compiled as a set of .NET 4.0 components.

Before we start, are sure you're in the right place?

To emphasize, this distribution should not be seen as a way to "get" an F# compiler for immediate use. For that you're better going to fsharp.org.

License: subject to terms and conditions of the Apache License, Version 2.0. A copy of the license can be found in the License.html file at the root of this distribution. By using this source code in any fashion, you are agreeing to be bound by the terms of the Apache License, Version 2.0. You must not remove this notice, or any other, from this software.

Questions? If you have questions about the source code, please ask at the F# Open Source Google Group. Please do not ask the F# team at Microsoft for help with this source code: they like to be friendly, but they are very busy working on improving F# and need to focus on that.

Updates? The F# team do not do active development in open repositories, though some changes such as cleanup or additional tools may be submitted. They aspire to update the code drop when future versions of F# compilers are released from Microsoft, usually at or around the RTM stage.

Copyright: Copyright 2002-2012 (c) Microsoft Corporation.

What do I get when I compile?

When you build the compiler using the standard instructions below, you get fsc.exe, fsi.exe, FSharp.Core.dll, FSharp.Compiler.dll and some related DLLs.

The compiler binaries produced are "private" and strong-named signed with a test key (src\fsharp\test.snk). They use CLI assembly version nunmber 2.9.9.999. You can place these components in the GAC but they will not replace the components used by normal Visual Studio or normal F# programs.

Steps - Building a Proto Compiler 

  cd src 
  gacutil /i ..\lkg\FSharp-2.0.50726.900\bin\FSharp.Core.dll
  msbuild fsharp-proto-build.proj

Note: Make sure you run the .NET 4.0 msbuild.exe, e.g. C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\MSBuild.exe.

Optional: NGEN the Proto Compiler for faster future startup (optional)

ngen install ..\Proto\net40\bin\fsc-proto.exe

Steps - Building the F# Core Library

This uses the proto compiler to build the FSharp.Core library, for Mono/.NET 4.0.

msbuild fsharp-library-build.proj /p:TargetFramework=net40
msbuild fsharp-library-build.proj /p:TargetFramework=net20

Note: Make sure you run the .NET 4.0 msbuild.exe, e.g. C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\MSBuild.exe.

Steps - Building the F# Compiler

This uses the proto compiler to build the FSharp.Compiler.dll and fsc.exe to run on for Mono/.NET 4.0.

msbuild fsharp-compiler-build.proj /p:TargetFramework=net40

Note: Make sure you run the .NET 4.0 msbuild.exe, e.g. C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\MSBuild.exe.

Notes on the build

The prerequisites and build command line for compiling the source (on Windows) are shown later in this README. Here's the logic of the build:

  • We first need an existing F# compiler, using the one in the 'lkg' directory. Let's assume this compiler has an FSharp.Core.dll with version X.
  • We use this compiler to compile the source in this distribution, to produce a "proto" compiler, in the Proto directory. When run, this compiler still relies on the FSharp.Core.dll with version X.
  • We use the proto compiler to compile the source for FSharp.Core.dll in this distribution, producing an FSharp.Core.dll with the version identified in src\source-build-version, usually 1.9.999.
  • We use the proto compiler to compile the source for FSharp.Compiler.dll, fsc.exe, fsi.exe and other binaries found in this distribution. When run, these binaries will rely on the FSharp.Core.dll with version 1.9.999. This is good, since it means the 1.9.999 binaries now form a consistent, bootstrapped compiler. If you like you should now be able to throw away the compiler with version X.

Some additional tools are required to build the compiler, notably fslex.exe, fsyacc.exe, FSharp.PowerPack.Build.Tasks.dll, FsSrGen.exe, FSharp.SRGen.Build.Tasks.dll and the other tools found in the lkg directory. These are "Last Known Good" binaries created from a version of the F# Power Pack on CodePlex. If you like you can throw away these binaries and use your own compiled versions of these. tools.

Use

Here are some simple tests to validate what you have built by checking fsi.exe (F# Interactive) starts up:

ngen install ..\Debug\net40\bin\fsi.exe
..\Debug\net40\bin\fsi.exe
1 + 1;;
#q;;
..\Debug\net40\bin\fsi.exe /help
..\Debug\net40\bin\fsc.exe /help
echo printfn "hello world" > hello.fs
..\Debug\net40\bin\fsc.exe hello.fs
copy ..\Debug\net40\bin\FSharp.Core.dll .
hello.exe
del /q FSharp.Core.dll

Some alternative Steps - Building an optimized (Release) compiler for .NET 4.0 profile

msbuild fsharp-compiler-build.proj /p:TargetFramework=net40 /p:Configuration=Release

ngen install ..\Release\net40\bin\fsi.exe
..\Release\net40\bin\fsi.exe
1 + 1;;
#q;;
..\Release\net40\bin\fsi.exe /help
..\Release\net40\bin\fsc.exe /help
echo printfn "hello world" > hello.fs
..\Release\net40\bin\fsc.exe hello.fs
copy ..\Release\net40\bin\FSharp.Core.dll .
hello.exe
del /q FSharp.Core.dll

 

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