[Developers] Link order of libraries

[Arni Magnusson]

On Thu, 30 Apr 2009, Hans Julius Skaug wrote:

> I do not know the "correct" way of linking in the libraries, but I can 
> confirm that ado32.lib adt32.lib admod32.lib adf1b2o.lib was the order 
> Dave used previously for the Borland version.

I see. Here are the scripts I have access to:

   ADMB 5.0.1 for Borland 5.5, lnkadmb.bat (12-Feb-1999):
   admod32.lib adt32.lib ado32.lib

   ADMB 9.0.202 for Borland 5.5, lnkadmb.bat (15-Apr-2009):
   df1b2stub.lib admod32.lib adt32.lib ado32.lib

   ADMB 9.0.202 for Borland 5.5, lnkadmb-re.bat (15-Apr-2009):
   df1b2o.lib admod32.lib adt32.lib ado32.lib

So for over 10 years, the Borland order has been [df1b2]-mod-t-o, and as 
far as I can tell, the Microsoft and GCC scripts have also been 
[df1b2]-mod-t-o through the years.

Now, Jason bas pointed out that o-t-mod-df1b2 works better for Borland 
random effects, and Hans has seen this order somewhere before.

Johnoel and I are going to update the user scripts, so the question is 
should we:

1. Change only Borland lnkadmb-re.bat to o-t-mod-df1b2, following Jason's 
finding. Everything works, and it doesn't really matter why.

2. Change only Borland lnkadmb-re.bat to mod-t-o-df1b2. This creates a 
larger executable, presumably because more functions are defined.

3. Change all Borland lnkadmb*.bat to o-t-mod-df1b2 or mod-t-o-df1b2. 
Perhaps Borland's rule for linking libraries is the opposite of GCC. The 
GCC rule is to read aloud "uses functions defined in" between the 
libraries 
(http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc-4.4.0/gcc/Link-Options.html#Link-Options). 
That's why I thought the original order df1b2-mod-t-o makes sense: RE uses 
ADMB uses AUTODIF.

4. Investigate this further, hopefully understanding why the GCC scripts 
repeat the libraries twice: df1b2-mod-t-o-df1b2-mod-t-o. Whey does GCC 
need repeating, if Borland and Microsoft don't? Being a GCC user myself, I 
find this even more interesting than the Borland issue.

Cheers,

Arni