Source Browser Information for a Configuration

The Source Browser generates a listing of all symbols in your program; information that can be useful when you need to debug it, or simply to maintain large volumes of unwieldy code. It keeps track of locations in your source code where your program declares, defines, and uses names. You can find references to variables or procedures in your main program and all subprograms it calls by selecting one of the files in your project, then using the Go to Definition or Go to Reference button on the Browse toolbar. Source Browser information is available only after you achieve a successful build.

Browser information is off by default for projects, but you can turn it on if you wish. To set the browse option for the current configuration:

• In the visual development environment:
  
  
  1. In the Project menu, click Settings.
  2. In the General category of the Fortran tab, set the Generate Source Browse Information check box.
  3. Click the BrowseInfo tab and set the Build Browse info check box.
  4. Click OK.
  5. Build your application.
  6. In the Tools menu, click Source Browser.
  7. Near the bottom on the Browse window, locate the Case sensitive check box. Since Fortran is a case-insensitive language, make sure the Case sensitive check box is clicked off.
  8. When you are done using the Browse window, click OK. The Browse window allows you to view graphs of calling relationships between functions and view the symbols contained within the file, and perform other functions.
     
     
• On the command line:
  
  
  1. Specify the /browser option.
  2. Use the Browse Information File Maintenance Utility (BSCMAKE) utility to generate a browse information file (.BSC) that can be examined in browse windows in the visual development environment.

When the browse option is on, the compiler creates intermediate .SBR files when it creates the .OBJ files; at link time, all .SBR files in a project are combined into one .BSC file. These files are binary, not readable, but they are used when you access them through the Browser menu.